Fabio Quartararo approaches the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello with a realism tinged with concern. With Yamaha showing a clear technological deficit compared to its rivals, the Tuscan circuit, known for its long straights and high grip levels, could well accentuate the M1’s current weaknesses.
The Mugello circuit, host to the sixth round of the MotoGP season this weekend, is a monument to motorcycle sport. Its fast corners and demanding straight sections put both machines and riders to the test. For Fabio Quartararo and his Yamaha, approaching it without illusions is a necessary display of lucidity. The 2021 world champion knows that the path to victory, or even to the front positions, is likely to be fraught with obstacles.
MotoGP is experiencing a season where the technological gap between manufacturers has widened. While the Yamaha M1 occasionally manages to sneak into the leading positions, the Italian circuit is likely to reveal, once again, the limitations of the Japanese bike.
Mugello: A hostile playground for Yamaha
The Mugello circuit is famous for its main straight, over a kilometre long, where top speeds flirt with records. It is precisely on this point that Yamaha suffers most against the competition, which has benefited from more seasons to perfect its V4 engines. But for Quartararo, the challenge is not limited to raw power.
“Here, I think it’s going to be one of the most difficult races,” the Frenchman confided this Thursday. “There are straights, lots of corners that turn a lot, grip. Last year already, we finished very, very, very far back. I think it’s going to be very complicated.” His words convey legitimate apprehension regarding the demands of the Tuscan track.
Beyond power, a lack of ‘turning’ and grip
While Yamaha is often criticised for its power deficit, Fabio Quartararo believes this is not the only, or even the main, problem with the current M1. The switch from an inline four-cylinder engine to a V4 necessitated a complete overhaul of the bike, and certain compromises seem to have been made.
“Honestly, I don’t think the power is the worst thing,” explains the rider. “I think we have very little ‘turning’ and grip because before, the bike turned a lot, the grip was acceptable. Now, we have no grip and no turning, plus the engine, obviously. Yeah, it will be tough.” This analysis highlights a lack of agility and insufficient grip, flaws that are particularly penalising in Mugello’s fast sequences.
Inconclusive tests on a track with ideal conditions
Recent test sessions, such as the one held the day after the Catalunya Grand Prix, have not yielded the hoped-for breakthroughs. Experimentation focused on the front wing, and the conclusions drawn are to be heavily qualified according to Quartararo, due to the exceptional conditions.
“The reality is that the track offered a lot of grip,” he recounts. “I did a 1’38.8 without doing a single ‘time attack’, just three tenths off my Q2 ‘time attack’. I could have gone much faster, but that’s not the reality, I’ll never find that feeling again because the grip on track is never like that. We really see that with grip, we can have significantly better potential.” These ideal conditions do not reflect the reality of races, where grip is often more precarious.
