MotoGP has contested four Grand Prix races and without Fabio Quartararo’s forearm problem last Sunday in Jerez, Yamaha would almost certainly have won four. Apparently total dominance.
But is that really the case? Is the M1 the best bike on the track?, the weapon that can undoubtedly win this world championship in the hands of a young, generous and fast driver like Fabio? 2020 taught us that this is not the case and it was simply the driver who made the fewest mistakes, not the fastest, and it was Joan Mir and his Suzuki who won.
Of course, Yamaha started better this year and apparently without any technical problems, but currently at the top of the championship There is a Ducati, that of Francesco Bagnaia, and in the top 6 there are three motorcycles from Borgo Panigale Zarco fifth and Miller sixth thanks to his victory in Jerez.
From what we can infer from the first races of the season, There is no doubt that the Ducati is the fastest, if not the most complete bike, while the Yamaha seems to be the most comfortable on the various tracks. as confirmed by the achievements of Franco Morbidelli.
So far the M1 has taken three wins and a third place, while Ducati has a win, four seconds and a third to his name. On the other hand, Suzuki can only boast a third place. Numbers that could suggest the battle for the title will be a Yamaha-Ducati affair. Will it be like this? Read the opinion of Ramon Forcada, Frankie’s chief engineer, carefully.
Forcada: “Bicycles with little power are better off with a clear track”
“At the moment Fabios – Ramon posted on Twitter – is the fastest Yamaha in the corners, especially in the fast corners. The cornering speed doesn’t even depend on the tires. Cornering doesn’t just depend on the tires. Riding is a complicated subject, especially without data. Bicycles without a lot of power and therefore without a lot of acceleration always do better with a clear track. If they “sacrifice” their line it will be difficult for them to get them back into the corner exit. “
What does that mean? It’s simple: that The only strategy for Yamaha is to start over and create your own lines. without being bothered (and therefore slowed down) by drivers who don’t have as much cornering speed but are difficult to overtake because they have better acceleration. Just what Quartararo did in Jerez last Sunday before being slowed down by forearm cramps.
The problem (but also the solution) for Yamaha is therefore a good start. One thing that El Diablo is succeeding in at the moment, but less Vinales and Morbidelli, who are, however, disadvantaged by a slower engine. And that would also apply to Valentino Rossi, who, despite his (non) placements, sometimes manages not to have a bad pace during the race.
Gigi Dall’Igna knows how important it is to start from scratch. That is why he has worked so hard over the past few seasons on the “holeshot” system, which Yamaha cannot develop, even though it has been tested for over a year.
The duel in the next Grand Prix will continue in qualifyingBecause in today’s MotoGP, with the way things are on the track, it’s important to start over. Also because the Advances in aerodynamics, brakes and tires allow ever shorter braking points, which leads to difficulties when overtaking. A problem that F1 knows very well.
The Yamaha is fast even on the short stretches – where the Honda with Marquez seemed unbeatable in form – but then the Ducati recovers under acceleration and sometimes makes every attempt to overtake in vain, especially when the “victim” is on a trajectory that allowed him to accelerate.
For this reason, Franco Morbidelli fights even more than his brand colleagues. From a motor point of view, however, the situation will not change this year. It is therefore necessary to check what solutions the technicians will find in relation to the setup.
In the meantime, it has to be said that, as in the golden years of F1, it will be necessary to rely on a “qualification” good enough to achieve the best position at the start, as well as a racing line-up.