This is a question that was often asked once the qualifications completed the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. A Saturday day which ended with the two Petronas Yamaha riders at the top of the bill, while the Iwata officials were content with a fifth and a thirteenth position. The kind of inversion of the pyramid that happens to M1 factory drivers more often than not at Jerez. For what ? Someone who answered this delicate riddle is an enlightened man, since he lived at Yamaha and now takes care of the satellite team of the same brand. His name is Wilco Zeelenberg and his response stings the eyes…
She is even scathing. It also almost makes sense, but it can shake up certainties and therefore be disturbing. That's why we never talk about it. Suffice it to say that the team manager of the new Malaysian structure says out loud what many are thinking quietly... Finally, to the question how Quarterly et Morbidely have monopolized the first two places on the starting grid for the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, he answers:
« Difficult to answer this question. I can say that official riders have been riding this bike for a long time. And I know perfectly well what they can do. On the other hand, Franco and Fabio have been driving it for less time and perhaps they don't complain because they want to explore their limits first. They always had a lot of confidence in the bike. This was also the case from the first free practice, so they pushed more and more, and that helped with the result ».
In 2017, Red was beaten by the Yamaha riders of Tech3, zarco et Folger and again by zarco in 2018. This time, the Petronas Yamaha riders, Quarterly et Morbidely, took positions 1 and 2 on the starting grid. In the race, if Morbidely broke down at the end of the game to finish behind the two Yamaha officials, fabio quartararo had the pace for, at least, the podium before the failure of his gear selector which forced him to retire.
