Yamaha is committed to making progress in MotoGP and returning to the top results. In recent years, Fabio Quartararo reported the lack of engine power as a major issue. Now that the engine is stronger, Cal Crutchlow believes there are other types of problems derived from it.
The test rider for the Iwata manufacturer said on the OMG! MotoGP podcast that electronics are a considerable problem: ‘Yes, they need power – that’s for sure. But they only need it in fourth, fifth, and sixth gears at the end of the straight. I think it took a long time for me to explain to Yamaha that by getting more power, we are creating so many problems coming out of the corner that at the end of the straight we are slower than we were anyway. Because the bike is sliding. Electronics are the biggest problem right now – they can’t manage the power we obtained, the way our electronics are working. So then we are slow at the end of the straight anyway‘.
On the other hand, Crutchlow mentioned that Yamaha has lost the good cornering performance it used to have: ‘Another thing I also said is that there are 15 corners on each circuit. We need to go back to be able to pass very, very well through the corners as we used to. Because if you take 0.1s per corner, that’s 1.5s. What you will lose on the straight is 0.2s/0.3s. Yes, you need power to be able to fight – that’s for sure‘.
Over the past few years, the Yamaha YZR-M1 has received several solutions and, although not all have had the expected effect, the British rider is encouraged by what he sees:
– There is a lot of difference in the philosophy of things, but it is putting this together. We are putting wings on the bike, we are doing so many different things that some are working, some are not. We have to try, but I think going forward, I believe they are heading in the completely right direction. It’s just going to take more time.
