It is an undeniable fact that, over the past few years, the competitiveness of the Yamaha YZR-M1 has deteriorated in MotoGP. This was particularly evident in 2023, after Fabio Quartararo became champion in 2021, fighting for the title until the last round of the following season.
The French rider is looking for improvements and, in statements to SPEEDWEEK.com, he mentioned what is needed: ‘Acceleration, aerodynamics, devices, and turning. We need to recover the cornering behavior we had in the past. Even with what we had in the past, with slightly modified aerodynamics and more power, we would be able to improve significantly. Then, surely, devices and everything are important, but it has more to do with feeling a little more comfortable on the bike. With an automatic device so that you don’t always have to press it in a difficult place’.
The return to on-track action is in early February with the Sepang tests, and Quartararo emphasized that he expects some innovations: ‘I really hope they bring something big, especially for Malaysia’.