The first laps of the official Yamaha riders with M1s giving a glimpse of what the 2020 opus will be like made them smile. But with the experience of the last two seasons, they now need more to get excited about. So their comments were positive, but nothing more. To get better, you have to go with team director Massimo Meregalli.
The road map was drawn. For 2020, we needed a Yamaha which gains speed in the straight while being more forgiving with its rear tire. Valencia was the first experience for the discovery of a possible better world. Casa Particular in Viñales showed velocity with a best absolute time after two days of work and Red demonstrated consistency on worn tires. So the management seems good. What confirms Massimo Meregalli.
« I think we need to develop the engine seven more times », joked Valentino Rossi, during his interview in Valencia on the new M1 engine. Although progress is palpable, there is still a long way to go, warned the Yamaha quadra. His teammate Maverick Vinales clarified that the new mechanics had more power, but still not enough: “ we are still missing 8 km/h in top speed “, declared the Spaniard.
The Yamaha team director, Massimo Meregalli, described the two-day test as a positive start to the 2020 season: “ both drivers tested the new prototype and their impressions were very positive, especially regarding the engine. Because that's what we focused on in this test »
« The new engine is smoother than last year's and we have also improved the top speed to some extent “, declared the Italian, aged 48. “ We had no problems during the two days of testing. The work on the engine was so good that we also had time to start tuning the chassis at the end of the day ».
Work will continue next Monday and Tuesday on the “Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto”: “ Jerez has a different configuration and characteristics. We want to try the same specifications that we used in Valencia. We cannot base our decision on new parts on a single performance. This is very important, especially when evaluating the engine ", has explained Meregalli. " We want to improve our chassis, engine and electronics package. This prototype is a completely new motorcycle that aims to improve all of these areas without losing the strengths that Yamaha has always had. This is always our goal. »
See you next week in Jerez. A deadline during which fabio quartararo would, in turn, taste the latest developments from Iwata. Will it be served?
