The last Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang once again highlighted the Yamaha's weakness in the face of competition. Especially when it's called Ducati. In this case, the duel is telling: the Japanese M1 is knocked down by the Italian Desmosedici. An impotence of Iwata's in-line four-cylinder which, due to this structure, will probably never be able to do better than a V4, whether from Borgo Panigale or Tokyo. Precisely, regarding this Honda, experience shows that when filling the stable with horses, new defects can appear. Exactly those that Valentino Rossi would like to avoid…
The recipe for lasting and shared success in MotoGP lies in balance. Otherwise, you have a motorcycle that lacks character. And if she has too many, you can only rely on the gifts of a Marc Márquez who will bring rain and good weather to you, in return for glory...
At Yamaha , culture resides in a friendly motorcycle. It is the favorite machine of rookies who launch themselves into the deep end by taking advantage of favorable conditions. Which does not detract from their merits because, to put it in front of the others, you still have to take care of it a little!
But we can always improve things. The idea is to work on the engine in Iwata. A trend that Valentino Rossi agrees, warning however that the best can also be the enemy of the good… “ Yamaha, like other manufacturers, is capable of building a powerful engine “, declared the nine-time world champion. “ But the problem is that you need a balanced motorcycle. You need a lot of power, but it also needs to be easy to control, which is very difficult. »
« It requires a lot of engineers and takes time and money ", added Valentino Rossi. " Honda and Ducati have taken a big step forward on the engine, maybe we need time. But Yamaha can do anything because it's a big company with a big budget. It depends on Yamaha's business. They seem to have understood that they had to become stronger. » Certainly, but with the latest news of a European test team in need of drivers, this optimism could fade to leave room for doubt. Because this testing structure had been a request from Vale for years…
