“I expected a lot more from Yamaha”, Fabio Quartararo’s doubts after the first tests of the season

The first laps of 2022 and already doubts. The 2021 Moto GP world champion, Fabio Quartararo made his return to school this weekend on the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, with his other friends from the premier class. And after two days of testing, the Frenchman has not swept away the doubts glimpsed in Jerez, during the end-of-season tests. “I expected a lot more from Yamaha, it’s clear, now we’ll see in Mandalika, we have to reconfirm things we’ve seen here”, explained Fabio Quartararo, 7th time on Sunday, who is already planning on testing the next weekend.

The reigning world champion, who kept his number 20 to display only a “1” on the back of his helmet, was expecting better engine performance from his machine, faced with the firepower of the Ducati. But Fabio Quartararo still preferred to put things into perspective. “At the start of the season you shouldn’t think about that, you shouldn’t say to yourself ‘I could have had a better bike’, you should give your all, nothing else. »

“There is only Fabio’s way to ride this Yamaha”

Difficulties also encountered by his teammate Andrea Dovizioso, even more dejected than Fabio. “I think there is only Fabio’s way to ride this Yamaha at the moment. He showed it last year, but also during these two days of testing. If you don’t use the bike like him, it’s very difficult to be fast,” analyzed the Italian. And to be successful, Yamaha riders need to focus more on the corners than on the straights, where their machine shows a deficit of more than 8 km/h in top speed.

Their doubts are all the more accentuated by the good performances of the Ducati, therefore, but also of the Suzuki with Alex Rins, 2020 World Champion who set the 4th best time, and especially of the Aprillia, very efficient in Malaysia. The battle promises to be tougher than ever for this 2022 season.