Our favorite Team Blue racer hasn’t been very happy with his race bikes lately – and he’s putting his foot down for the 2023 contract.
The report from MotorSport.com states that 2022’s pre-season test ended with Quartararo snatching up ninth fastest and 0.707 seconds off the pace – far from where the man wants to be in the lineup. He’s been considering his future, so it’s no surprise that Yamaha‘s lack of improvement on their bikes is giving the man pause.
Obviously, Yamaha wants Quartararo to stick around, but first, the team needs to give Quartararo what he wants – and compared to the bike he tried out at Misano in September, Quartararo admitted that ‘the motorcycle was basically the same,’ rendering his hopes for improved technology defunct.
“…we tried a really similar bike as Misano… well, to be honest, it was the bike of Misano. So, we tried that, we tried more things that are a new swingarm, some electronics, anti-wheelie….but, to be honest, it was a really similar test as Misano….more work needs to be done to feel an improvement. Still, [there’s] some like you’d imagine, the bike is the first step, and we hope for much better in Sepang.”
When asked about a 2023 deal with Yamaha, the racer admitted it was still a bit early but that he was hopeful:
“I don’t want to sign anything before Malaysia at least: I want to see the evolution of our bike…I don’t think it’s normal to sign for 2023 without having started 2022, so I think I know where my value lies.”
“I will wait a little while to see how the team positions itself with Yamaha, especially to see the evolution or not of the new bike in Sepang.”
“I am asking for very important things. After that, it’s something that if they don’t show what I’m asking for, at least that they try and that there is a small improvement, that’s good…but if I see that they go in a totally different direction, it can affect my future with Yamaha.”
The improvement Quartararo is looking for is more power, specifically; the numbers don’t lie, and Ducati has been at least 8km/h faster than Yamaha’s bikes as of recent – something that must be fixed if Quartararo is to continue to improve.
We will see what happens as more news sifts down to us in the pipeline; in the meantime, be sure to brush up on more articles from our archives, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.