Quartararo’s Optimism: A Giant Leap for Yamaha
Fabio Quartararo, the reigning MotoGP sensation, is exuding confidence after an exhilarating pre-season test at Sepang, Malaysia. The French rider, who has been a pivotal figure for Yamaha Factory Racing, is convinced that the team has made a significant leap in performance over the winter break. According to Quartararo, the improvement is not just incremental but monumental, surpassing the gains made over the previous five seasons combined. This assertion is backed by his impressive lap times and the overall performance of the Yamaha M1 during the recent tests.
performance Metrics: A Closer Look
Since the first official MotoGP pre-season test began at Sepang, Quartararo has consistently been among the top performers. Initially, his speed was attributed to the headstart he and Yamaha received from a three-day shakedown at the same circuit. However, it soon became evident that the pace was genuine and not just a result of familiarity with the track. Quartararo’s best lap time of 1m56.724s is a stark improvement from his 1m57.592s qualifying effort at the Malaysian Grand Prix just four months prior. This 0.868s improvement is a testament to the substantial progress made by the team, which Quartararo believes is more significant than the six-tenths gain achieved from 2019 to 2024 and the eight-tenths gain from 2024 to 2025.
Historical Context: A Benchmark for Improvement
To put this into perspective, Quartararo took pole position at Sepang in 2019, leading a Yamaha 1-2 in qualifying with a time of 1m58.303s. Comparing this to his qualifying time of 1m57.592s from last year, it shows that Yamaha has made an improvement of a little over seven tenths in five years. This slight overestimation by Quartararo underscores the magnitude of the recent advancements. The Frenchman is not the only one recognizing this progress; his times are comparable to those set by Pecco Bagnaia in the previous year’s tests, further validating the team’s efforts.
Comparing Long-Run Pace: A Mixed Bag
While Quartararo is thrilled with the immediate lap times, he is also impressed by the long-run pace of the improved M1. During the testing, he completed six laps with one setting and another six with a different setting, all on new tires. The overall performance was commendable, though he acknowledges that the Ducatis of factory riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia are still ahead. Quartararo’s long-run times, while solid, are not as stellar as the mid-56s to low-57s achieved by Marquez. Despite this, the gap between Yamaha and the front-runners is now more manageable, a significant improvement from last year when they were often languishing in the 11th or 12th positions.
Race Pace and Qualifying: Addressing Key Issues
One of the primary challenges Quartararo faced in the previous season was qualifying too far back on the grid, which hampered his race strategy. Despite having strong race pace, starting from positions like P15 made it nearly impossible to overtake and capitalize on his strengths. This issue, he believes, has been mitigated. "One lap [pace] last year was the biggest problem because we always start super fast, and it was difficult for us to overtake," Quartararo explained. "Right now, before I made my first time attack, I knew I was going to make 1m56s. But last year, the problem was you put a new tyre and you don’t know the lap time you were going to do."
Looking Ahead: The First Races
The improvements in both one-lap pace and race pace are promising, and Quartararo is optimistic about the upcoming races. The Frenchman is confident that the new, faster engine will play a crucial role in enhancing their performance. "But the race pace was never really the problem, the problem was starting from P15, it was impossible to overtake. But also our engine is a bit faster so we will see in the first races how we will manage," he added. As the season approaches, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Yamaha and Quartararo can translate this pre-season optimism into consistent race results. The stage is set for an exciting and competitive season in MotoGP.
