Yamaha are making significant strides in their MotoGP revival, but technical director Max Bartolini has raised concerns over a crucial balance they must maintain to support Fabio Quartararo’s performance.
Bartolini emphasized that while Yamaha’s concessions allow them to conduct extensive testing, relying too heavily on factory riders like Quartararo to perform testing duties mid-season can negatively impact their race performance.
“From a development point of view, our ability to test more is definitely an advantage,” Bartolini explained. “But it’s not so simple during the season. A tester is a tester, and a racer is a racer. Asking the works riders to do both limits their ability to focus on performance.”
He added that test sessions during the winter are ideal, but during the race calendar, development testing can slow down the progress of factory riders if not carefully managed.
This conflict is particularly relevant as Yamaha continue to develop their new V4 engine. While there is no official date for its race debut, the team will bring an upgraded version of their current inline-4 to the upcoming French Grand Prix.
Fabio Quartararo recently tested this engine in Jerez and described it as “more powerful,” a promising sign as Yamaha push forward.
His pole position and podium in Jerez also marked a major boost for the team, proving that despite ongoing development, race-day performance remains a priority.
Quartararo returns home to Le Mans next week, hopeful that the updated engine will give him the edge to battle with the leaders once again.
