Fabio Quartararo is the new MotoGP World Champion and he won this title by masterfully piloting a Yamaha that his three other brand colleagues have never managed to raise to the same level as him. From there, the Frenchman is in a legitimate position to guide Iwata's engineers regarding the development of his M1. In Jerez, the beginnings of the developments were tested, but it seemed frustrating for all the drivers of the brand in tune.
At the end of the Jerez tests, which guide factory developments for 2022, Yamaha was by far the most disappointed team, but it was not for lack of trying. Two new chassis were tested and they also had the same new engine that appeared in the Misano test. However, at the end of the two days, the riders came away frustrated and demanded more changes from Yamaha officials.
Also, the French driver recently looked back on the last Jerez tests, what works and what needs to be improved for next season: “For me it works pretty well, we are world champions. So I think we can be really happy. We have to work. To be honest, my feeling with the bike is very good, but we are struggling to overtake in many areas. It depends on the track, Misano was very difficult.” He ends with the essential: “We all know we need to improve power. With that I think we can have the best bike on the grid, but I think Yamaha knows where they have to work and at the moment I can't say if it's the best or not. But we are world champions.”
In the photo, this is the machine of 2021, the one that allowed Fabio Quartararo to access the world title. Even though this bike seems homogeneous, riders have many criticisms of it.
A lack of grip at the rear was accompanied by a problem with the front axle. When the Yamaha riders found themselves fighting in the middle of a peloton, they were helpless. The temperature and pressure of the front tire would skyrocket, causing them to lose grip and front-end feel. This is what happened to Fabio Quartararo at Portimao, which ultimately led to him crashing at turn 5. Nevertheless, Yamaha engineers did not remain idle and looked for solutions to these problems.
The prototype of the M1 2022 edition went into action at Jerez. And among the modifications made, we observe new cuts on the main beam.
Another modification is on the left side of the main beam, just above the clutch, there is a small indentation on the chassis.
What Yamaha is trying to do is to find a more coherent feeling with the front axle but also better grip at the rear. In certain conditions the M1 has excellent rear grip, but when conditions are not ideal they lack grip in which case the bike slips and is no longer as efficient in corners. However, it is a crucial point for the bike with the least power on the MotoGP grid.
During the Jerez tests, a first 2022 chassis was tested on the first day, and this chassis was tested on the second day. This is another development compared to the first 2022 chassis, as it features additional welds on the main beam, with engineers most likely looking to try and reinforce the chassis to find the desired effect.
The cutout above the clutch is also different from the first chassis tested and the 2021 one, with a slightly deeper hole in the expanse of the main beam.
Interestingly though, Franco Morbidelli said that he felt better with the first chassis tested and considered it as a reference for future modifications. As for Fabio Quartararo, his feeling with the two new chassis was very similar to that of the 2021 chassis and he did not feel any real improvement.
The World Champion seemed frustrated and stressed that he hoped Yamaha would bring something that would take a real step forward at Sepang next February for the resumption of the 2022 season.
Andrea Dovizioso also had the opportunity to test the Yamaha 2022. Also, he went directly from a prototype dating from 2019 to that of 2022, a technological leap forward of three years.
His feedback was positive, and his main comment concerned braking: with the 2022 version, it is possible to brake much harder and later. This is very positive for his riding style, he tends to brake late, aggressively, and this is something that generally did not work on the Yamaha.
We can't miss Andrea Dovizioso's saddle, or at least the foam appendages at the back of it. The Yamaha is a relatively long motorcycle, this allows the Italian rider to maintain his position without having to force his thighs and arms during acceleration phases, making him feel more comfortable.
Yamaha also brought a new fairing for its riders to test, although it looks very close to the 2021 version. However, the area that has evolved is just above the aerodynamic fins.
On the current fairing, in this same area, the fairing has a small concave section where it turns inwards, but on this new version it is much smoother and rounded.
They also had the opportunity to test another evolution of the perforated front mudguard, a specificity of the Yamaha. The hole at the top of the mudguard was created to allow the front tire to cool by passing cool air across its surface.
It also came with the aerodynamic fork guards, designed to smooth airflow to the radiator and around the bike in general.
In this photo of the old front fairing, we notice that it has large concave sections just above the fins. With the previous photo it is more obvious to realize how much more rounded and smooth the new one is.
Here is an overview of the 2022 developments made by Yamaha. Frustration was the main theme. The new chassis did not allow the drivers to achieve the step forward they expected and the 2022 engine used was the same as the one already tested at Misano, bringing slightly more power but not enough to close the gap vis- towards the competition. We wait to see what Yamaha can bring to the official Sepang Test in February, in the meantime, the Iwata engineers have their work cut out for them.
Photos: Dorna Sports
