Yamaha arrives in Argentina a week after a performance in Portugal for a Grand Prix which opened a season which places the Iwata brand in last place of the five manufacturers entered in MotoGP. A position which is not an accident given the performance of the only two M1s still present on the starting grid. It would be desirable for the expedition to Termas de Rio Hondo to result in a different outcome than that of Portimao, because we risk asking ourselves some questions about the usefulness of all this in Japan.
An outcome which, however, is not yet on the agenda and the team director Massimo Meregalli would like to dismiss by offering a speech that is intended to be both positive and reassuring: “ we went to the Termas de Río Hondo circuit immediately after the Portuguese Grand Prix » begins the Italian. “ It was a long journey after the first round, but we are excited to be here and racing again this weekend ". Then he adds: “ Last week's results show we have work to do, so it will be a busy week for us ».
It also recalls the particular context that this Argentine Grand Prix will offer: “In Portimao, we were able to prepare the set-up for the Sprint and the Race from the pre-season test. Here, it will be more difficult with the new GP weekend format. We need to get the most out of every session, especially P2. This is the session that will most resemble the Sprint and the Sunday race in terms of conditions. This is important for tire choice and, moreover, P2 gives access to Q2 ».
Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha: “ we work hard to find something to improve our performance level »
« We are going to be very focused on improving our qualifications, because the result of the two competitions which are the Sprint and the Race strongly depend on the starting position. Local fans have a lot of passion for motorcycle sport, so we know they will enjoy the extra racing action that the Sprint offers on Saturday, and we can't wait to see them enjoy the spectacle » he concludes.
Yamaha has two victories MotoGP en Argentina which date back to 2015 with Valentino Rossi and in 2017 with Maverick Vinales. For its part, Franco Morbidelli won in Moto2 in 2017. In 2019, he crashed on the final lap at turn 7 while fighting for sixth place with Danilo Petrucci and Viñales. Last year he retired due to a puncture.
This is how the Italian-Brazilian envisages this Argentinian deadline: “ The positive thing about opening the season with back-to-back GP weekends is that we immediately have another chance to improve on the next track. A tire puncture last year during the Argentine Grand Prix ended my race prematurely. It's good that this year we have a Sprint and a Race, because in a way I can make up for it by running twice this year.. We work hard to find something to improve our performance level ».
