Yamaha surprised the entire paddock during the first pre-season tests, with Quartararo and Rins improving by as much as eight-tenths.
In the upcoming MotoGP season, the hierarchy could be overturned, at least for second place. Yamaha, during the first pre-season tests held in Malaysia, amazed everyone in the paddock by lapping almost a second faster compared to last season’s tests.
A significant improvement from both Quartararo and Rins, with the French rider expressing great satisfaction after their performances on the Malaysian circuit, as shown by his words: “I’m having fun riding. We’re trying a lot of things at once. This makes it harder to do a fast lap because you don’t have your bike set up exactly the way you want it, but me and the team can be satisfied with the work we’re doing.”
Yamaha’s notable progress has caught Ducati‘s attention, with Pecco Bagnaia commenting on the improvement of the Japanese manufacturer: “I think there will be a change in terms of who will be behind Ducati during this season; I believe Yamaha has done a great job, but we need to wait for Thailand because in Malaysia they also benefited from the three days of shakedown, so part of their competitiveness in these tests comes from that. Quartararo had fantastic pace all three days and was fast even in the time attack, which was their weak point. I think they’ve done an excellent job.” .
Davide Tardozzi shares a similar point of view: “I knew they would make progress, but I didn’t expect them to do it so quickly. I know Massimo Bartolini very well, and I was absolutely sure he would be able to help them make a big step forward. They have a fantastic rider like Fabio, and for sure, right now, he is our opponent.”
