The numbers say so and it is an unavoidable fact: the Yamaha YZR-M1 is not on the same competitive level as its main rivals in MotoGP and, despite Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) being mathematically in the fight for the title in the last GP, since the Dutch GP only twice managed to get on the podium.
Ramon Forcada, an engineer with extensive experience at the Iwata manufacturer, said on Nico Abad’s Twitter that the Yamaha case demonstrates the paradigm shift introduced by manufacturers from Europe: ‘There are other brands that have worked on many details in which the japanese are a little reluctant to enter. We are seeing a paradigm shift in the World Championship forced by european brands’.
Despite the existing gaps, Quartararo managed to stay in the lead of the championship for about six months and even had an extensive advantage – giving in only in the second part of the season and especially in the finals. Even so, Forcada praised the frenchman’s trajectory in 2022:
– Quartararo doesn’t have the perfect bike, but he never used it as an excuse. He is the only one of the five riders that Yamaha has had this season who knew how to take advantage of what there was. He is an extraordinary competitive animal and knows how to manage frustration issues. Since in 2020 [Franco] Morbidelli was above him, questioned what he had done wrong and decided to go to the psychologist.