Yamaha’s Jerez MotoGP updates improve rider feeling but don’t bring performance

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Fabio Quartararo says Yamaha’s suite of updates for the Jerez MotoGP test improved the front-end feeling but did not deliver a direct performance gain.

In a bid to get its troubled V4 programme back on track, Yamaha introduced several new components at the first in-season test of the year in Spain on Monday. Notably, one of the fairings Quartararo evaluated was similar to, if not identical to, the specification used last year on the inline four-cylinder bike.

Quartararo struck a more positive tone about the changes the Iwata-based manufacturer made, having previously expressed his frustration over the lack of progress in the bike’s development.

Crucially, the updates addressed an area that he had identified as a key weakness following Yamaha’s shift to a V4-powered bike this year: the feedback from the front-end.

“We tested many, many things: he said. We tested the chassis, swingarm, electronics and aero.

“We didn't find so much, because we already tested the chassis in [Spanish FP] practice.

“The aeros have been something that we use quite a lot. Looks like we found a bit of front feeling. Not really performance, but the feeling is going to help us.

“I've been saying since September last year that we miss the front feeling.”

The Frenchman didn't want to pinpoint what helped him rediscover the front-end feeling, he was likely referring to the old fairing.

“Well, I tested a lot of them. I think the last one I used was the one that was more positive,” he said. “Let's see what the team will bring for Le Mans.

“But for me, it's a big help when I start to feel the front. Even if the potential is there, I need to feel where the limit is.”

Bike of Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing