In this MotoGP season, practice seems to defy theory and it is not the provisional general classification of the championship in the drivers' version which will demonstrate the opposite. We see in the lead a Fabio Quartararo who was not given much skin when it became obvious, from the first meeting in Qatar, that Yamaha had ignored the development of its engine. The first trend in Doha suggested the worst for the reigning World Champion's chances of retaining his crown which, 11 Grands Prix later, seems to be firmly anchored on the Frenchman's head. By what miracle? Fabio Quartararo and his talent obviously have something to do with it. But not only that, and it’s the Aprilia challenger that explains it…
Without control, power is nothing, an advertisement once said which today could perfectly explain the appearance of the current MotoGP championship. In fact, he is a pilot on the handlebars of a Yamaha recognized as being the most depressing bike in a long straight that leads the title race at mid-season. Surface-to-surface missiles Ducati, announced as the big favorites during the winter, are lagging behind this devil fabio quartararo. Worse, they see the compatriot Aprilia able to beat him to the pawn of Italian supremacy with a Aleix Espargaró at the top of his art riding an RS-GP at the peak of its evolution.
"in MotoGP 12% on average per lap, the time depends on the performance of the engine power"
So, what is the point of having watts, which nevertheless remain demanded by fabio quartararo, and promised by Yamaha in 2023? In fact, the problem is more complex than that and it is Roman Albesian from home Aprilia which enlightens us in comments spotted on speedweek : " Over the course of a season, the average time spent by MotoGP riders with the throttle fully open is between 8 and 14%. » explains the Italian who adds: “ then there are the exceptions of Spielberg and, I believe, Buriram, which represent about 24%. ". With this indication, we can fear for the Frenchman during these two meetings…
More Albesian continues his demonstration thus: “ Added to this is the fact that the bikes are inclined at more than 30% throughout the season. In other words, 12% on average per lap, the time depends on the engine power performance. During the rest of the lap, the bike's performance depends on another factor ". Seen like that, we understand better, but having a good engine still remains the basis… “ It is clear that a powerful engine is important, because 12% is not a negligible percentage and it is also necessary to take into account that a powerful engine helps to exceed ". The account is good.
