An unforgettable day for Yamaha in Losail. The three M1s lead the daily standings. Maverick Vinales was able to lead the timesheet and prevail against Franco Morbidelli and teammate Fabio Quartararo. It was a virtual front row, which however does not earn any points and does not mean anything to the overall standings, but given the first two races of the 2021 World Championship, which will be run on the same track as this one, it certainly represents a tremendous boost in confidence produced today.
Fabio Quartararo finished third, and was surprised by what came out of the day. In fact, it seems that despite the fact that it does not have any extraordinary feelings in the saddle, the Yamaha is very concise due to the recent changes.
“Today we tried a lot of things that I didn’t really like – said the French – but we took a look at the pace and it was great, even if I tried things that I didn’t particularly like. I didn’t feel happy, but when I look at the pace I can feel satisfied. I feel more and more comfortable on the 2021 bike, we tried out some setups for the future and in the end it went great. “
The M1 seems to do very well at Losail. Will it be the same in the race?
“Nowadays we experience completely different conditions than in the race. Now we have unreal grip. I don’t think this is the grip we will have in the race. I think in Portimao or on tracks where there is little grip, us might suffer. It is not normal to find three Yamahas in front of everyone. We’re quick in the individual lap, we’re quick in tests and we’ve always been. But this time I don’t want to make the mistake of the past of having too much trust. I want to race first and then understand “.
How’s it going with Crutchlow, did you speak today?
“Cal is a very intelligent and easy-going rider. I’ve spoken to him several times, I like him because he says what he thinks. If the bike isn’t going well, he doesn’t shake the bush. I think Yamaha needed one Test driver like him. He’s fast with the M1, even though he hasn’t driven it in many years. He still did a few laps today. I’m glad he’s part of the team and for my part, I’m pushing to do so many tests as possible with Cal. “
Do you have a clear idea of the bike you will be using for the first race?
“I have a very clear idea, I know what my M1 will be. Today we had a bike that I did my fastest lap on with 15 lap tires. I know which bike I will use in FP1 on Friday. We have another day of testing, but we have this base that works very well. “
Will the sensations on the bike or the lap times decide which bike to use?
“Even if the sensations on the bike aren’t that good, I think they’ll speak for themselves when the times are good.” Not so much the individual lap time, but the race pace. We did some good things at the pace, now we know very well what base to use when the track has a lot of grip. We have to see what grip we will have in the race, but I’m pretty sure what to do this weekend. “”
Vinales: “We have to improve the start and try the M1 on tracks with little grip.”
Maverick Vinales took first place in the overall standings on this fifth day of testing and at the end of the session he stopped to do some test starts at the end of the session, an area where Yamaha must make great strides relative to its best competitors.
“Right now we have to improve the start a lot and it’s complex – Vinales confirmed – because we have to try to move forward from a mechanical point of view. We’re trying different things and we’ve improved, but we’re not where we are yet.” would love to be. Tomorrow we will do other back-to-back tests with some modifications. “
The M1 was strong with everyone today, but there’s also a lot of grip in Losail, a situation this bike digests well. Are you worried that something could change on tracks with little grip?
“We are working very hard on this area. You will surely only know the reality when the situation arises, in which the asphalt actually gets little under control. We are definitely optimistic because we know that we will benefit from it in these situations can.” of our chassis and our speed in the middle of the turn. I am curious to try this bike on asphalt with little grip, because at the moment times come very easily and I would like to understand whether we can repeat this at a high level without a grip. “”
There seems to be an opportunity to vaccinate the entire paddock ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. What do you think about it?
“I haven’t spoken to the team about it yet, but it is certainly something that can protect you and that is needed.”