Yamaha, a mixed first part of the season for Massimo Meregalli

After the first Grands Prix of the season, Yamaha would certainly not have bet on being at the top of the championship during the summer break. It must be said that the first round of the calendar in Qatar did not go as planned. fabio quartararo could not aim higher than 9th place with a top speed well below the main competitors. Fear then took hold within the Japanese brand. “ In Qatar we were always fast and it was the first race of the season, we really wanted to be as good as usual but we couldn't and this is the lowest point of the season for me », analyzes Massimo Meregalli, the director of the structure.

Since Qatar, Yamaha Factory Racing has managed to turn things around. At least, Fabio Quartararo managed to bail out the ship with his 3 victories in 6 races from Portugal to Germany. “ It's a mixed assessment because on the one hand we are extremely satisfied, explains Massimo Meregalli about his team's season so far. We probably didn't start the way we wanted to. But then we started to improve our performance and our results. And leading the championship before the break was something we wanted and achieved, so it's very important »

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Top speed still to be worked on at Yamaha

But if El Diablo carries his team, the observation is not the same for Franco Morbidelli. The Italian only occupies 19th place in the championship. His best result was limited to 7th place in Indonesia. “ On the other side of the garage we struggle. Because we had hope for “Franci”, but we know him. He is so strong and together we are sure we will get him back to where he should be », Deciphers the Yamaha Factory Racing team manager.

If it was in Portugal that Yamaha Factory Racing and Fabio Quartararo reached a milestone this season, it was in Barcelona that the Japanese team had its best weekend. On Spanish soil, the Tricolore team accumulated the contract extension with El Diablo until 2024, the race victory and the best time of the test day.

There is still work to be done at Yamaha with obviously a big downside to improve. “ The area where we have a lot of room for improvement is top speed. We are really trying and we hope that we will bring something new to Silverstone, but apart from that I think our bike has other strong points and at the moment only Fabio is able to exploit them in the best way », Analyzes Massimo Meregalli. In England, the current championship leader will really need a little help. As a reminder after the Dutch Grand Prix, Fabio Quartararo inherited a “long lapse” penalty. This could benefit Aleix Espargaro who is only 21 points behind in the standings.

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