If anyone knows what it takes to win on the Yamaha YZR-M1, it’s Fabio Quartararo, who has won eleven times in the premier class. And in a year marked by disappointments for the Japanese manufacturer, the Frenchman seems to have been the only one to take advantage of the Yamaha’s potential.
Franco Morbidelli was a shadow, in terms of results, of the rider that in 2020 became runner-up. Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, never managed to be competitive on the bike and didn’t feel heard at Yamaha until he left before the end of the season. Darryn Binder also failed to stand out as a rookie and left not only the team but the category itself. That’s why when Quartararo speaks, Yamaha engineers listen…and take notes. The Frenchman believes that two improvements could completely change the course of Yamaha, as he told Motorsport-Magazin.com:
– The other riders are struggling, but for me, the M1 is basically a good bike that just really lacks acceleration and power. I’m always pushing the Japanese engineers because if we can eliminate that weakness then we’ll have a chance to fight for victory every weekend. This is currently often not the case.