The atypical 2020 MotoGP season is now over and it is time to look forward to next year.
At Yamaha, the first “world after” campaign left a mixed taste in the mouth, a mix of technical problems but also 7 victories out of 14 races, or 50% success!
In the end, Iwata's firm allowed Franco Morbidelli to be vice-world champion riding a “simple” M1 Spec A while the three riders benefiting from a Factory motorcycle supposedly superior, Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo and Valentino Rossi, finished 6th, 8th and 15th respectively.
The latter complained a lot about the lack of consistency of their mount which, depending on the grip conditions, temperatures and routes, seemed, according to them, to work like hell or to be undrivable while Franco Morbidelli continued on his merry way without complaining too much...
As elsewhere fabio quartararo has mentioned on several occasions the fact that he did not feel his 2020 Yamaha as "his" bike, unlike the 2019 model, it is not uninteresting to know if the Grand Prix regulations would authorize Yamaha in 2021 to provide all its pilots the same motorcycles that are used by Franco Morbidelli This year…
On this point, the famous little yellow book received modifications during 2020 and seems clear:
“A Rider's Motorcycle Specs.”
A driver may start the 2021 season using any of the homologated specifications (aerodynamics, engine or any other homologated parts specification) that has was approved by the manufacturer in March 2020.
Example:
A manufacturer is permitted to change the type of machine specification supplied to any user using their machines at the start of the 2021 season.
For example, a 2020 driver continues into 2021 but may receive either an upgrade (for example, from Spec A to Spec B) or a tier downgrade (from Spec B to Spec A).
Similarly, if a manufacturer has four drivers in the 2020 season using 2 Spec A machines + 2 Spec B machines, the manufacturer could choose any combination for 2021, such as 4 Spec A machines or any other combination. »
So yes, if it wanted, Yamaha could give Fabio Quartararo “his” 2019 bike back in 2021!
But, for at least three reasons, she most certainly will not do so…
First of all, for a manufacturer, going back is not an option. Not only would this be a disavowal of the work carried out by its engineering teams, but above all it is not by returning to the past that we build the future. In the worst case, if the new developments do not bring satisfaction, we can see a manufacturer retaining existing solutions, as was the case with Honda which rolled out the 2014 frame of Marc Márquez during three years. But taking an “old” model to field it two years later in the factory team has never been seen before…
The second reason is technical. According to our information, if the power of Yamaha engines of Franco Morbidelli is identical to those of the thrusters of Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo and Valentino Rossi, the motors themselves are different and only fit in dedicated chassis. To put it simply, you cannot mount the engine fabio quartararo in the chassis of Franco Morbidelli, and vice versa. It is therefore impossible to benefit from the latest 2020 engine and electronic developments (admittedly largely reduced to preserve reliability following the problems encountered) in the apparently more accommodating chassis of Franco Morbidelli, which could have constituted an interesting avenue of development.
Finally, we cannot ignore the remark that an illustrious but discreet paddock technician told us: “At Yamaha, every year the factory riders suggest that the previous year's model was better. This was the case this year with Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales who would have preferred Franco Morbidelli's bike, but also last year with Maverick Viñales who would have preferred Fabio Quartararo's bike, and those before where it was said that the bike of Johann Zarco was easier to ride than those of Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi. If it were all that simple, it would be enough to give Johann Zarco's bikes at Tech3 to Yamaha factory riders in 2021! »
Sometimes taking a step back from riders' statements doesn't seem completely unnecessary, and that's why Yamaha won't go down a retrograde path, although it has the right to do so...
