During the two meetings in Austria, Takahiro Sumi (Yamaha MotoGP Group leader), Davide Barana (Ducati Corse Technical Director), Takeo Yokoyama (HRC Technical Manager), Ken Kawauchi (Team Suzuki Ecstar Technical Manager), Wolfgang Felber (KTM Head of Chassis Development) and Romano Albesiano (Aprilia Racing Technical Manager) therefore gave an update to the press.
After those from Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Technical Manager, here are the words of Takahiro Sumi, the Yamaha MotoGP Group leader which replaced Kouiji Tsuya in 2019. But whether due to the stress of such exercise or deliberate will, man generally remains true to his attitude of giving the least precise answers possible. Too bad for us...
As usual, we report in full and without any formatting the comments of the person concerned made in a teleconference broadcast on the official website MotoGP.com.
Yamaha has won five of the first nine races and leads the championship. Considering that engine development is frozen, Yamaha has made a lot of progress this year: How happy are you about that?
Takahiro Sumi : " Of course we are happy! We're ahead at the halfway point of the season but, more than that, it's just a passing point for us. We are happy because we confirm that the direction and actions we have taken since the last two years until now are correct. So we just focus our development as we planned and without the slightest confusion: This is the biggest positive thing! »
What are you most proud of so far this year in terms of development?
« Of course, we have worked on all areas compared to last year's season: Engine, chassis and aerodynamics. But the main thing we have improved since last year is the chassis. In particular, Fabio gets more feeling on the bike and he can push more to the limit. This may be one of the causes of its good performance. »
Can you explain what happened to Maverick Viñales between Germany and Holland, where he went from last place to second position with the same bike?
« It is not very easy to separate a single element. For Maverick, we have seen in the past that its performance changes depending on the conditions. So we always try to find the best settings depending on the temperature. Sometimes he is not in the points and he loses more than the others. This means that the combination of bike settings and rider characteristics is the main explanation. »
Do you think Ramon Forcada will be in the Yamaha box next year?
« I'm not sure about the composition of the work organization for next year, so we can't say anything, but his experience always helps us, even if he is in the satellite team. So we are happy to work with him. »
Do you think Yamaha can reestablish the relationship with Maverick?
« Regarding the future of Maverick? So far everyone's minds have calmed down so we are just focusing on this season with our best support to try to make him fast and enjoy driving our M1 until the end of the season. year. This is our only objective. »
How do you see the technical regulations evolving for the next five-year period of MotoGP, starting in 2027?
« For Yamaha, it is always good for the performance of motorcycles to have stable regulations, but the current global situation is moving towards carbon neutrality. I'm not sure but I think as an industry we need to look to the future with a balance between performance, spectacle and the environment. Currently, (racing) motorcycles are not so affected by this but it is time to think about it. »
The health crisis is now more than a year and a half old: How much has it affected development?
« For Yamaha, and not just for Yamaha, the Covid-19 situation remains difficult for us, but we have learned a little more compared to last year. It's a big regret, but we couldn't have the advantage of testing in Europe with Jorge Lorenzo last year. But now we are trying to do better by testing outside of Japan with Cal Crutchlow. We've done it a few times already and now we have a plan to do more in Europe this year. The main objective is to develop our bike for next year, which is difficult. It's still difficult but we now have more knowledge to manage the situation and so we have progressed compared to last year. »
Do you think that development should still be frozen next year?
« The engine freeze regulations will be finished next year, so it's open again. Now that we are fighting for the title, we cannot choose one particular point and we have to do our best in all areas. »
Is working on fuel important for performance development?
« Gasoline is one of the elements of development in collaboration with our supplier. We are trying, and so far we can find something on some points, but we don't know about the future. At the moment conditions are stable but we will have to see more of this area for the future. »
