Like other manufacturers, and in order to comply with the regulations which impose a freeze on engine development between 2020 & 2021, Yamaha is using an engine of the same design as that used last season. But what's different is that the Iwata factory no longer has to deal with the valve reliability concerns they faced in early 2020, and they have made modifications to the chassis. According to drivers, the feedback provided by this chassis and its handling are similar to the 1 M2019.
Yamaha seems to have found the perfect recipe in 2021. Well, at least for Fabio Quartararo. The current M1 seems effective whatever the circuit, with Fabio Quartararo regularly at the top of the standings, from the start of FP1 until the checkered flag on Sunday.
With the Iwata factory taking a step backwards to move forward, let's take a look at the changes Yamaha has made to make their M1 perform more consistently.
After a far from comfortable 2020, Iwata engineers tried to understand why their prototype was so inconsistent. Indeed, in 2020, the operating range of the M1 seemed very narrow: the bike could be fantastic on certain tracks, but on other tracks, the riders had no feeling.
So they took a step back to move forward and proposed the 2021 chassis, which is closer to the 2019 version than the 2020 version. For the Yamaha which cannot rely on phenomenal power in order to make up for its shortcomings on certain tracks, developing an efficient chassis, if not the right chassis is even more crucial. It is very important that riders have confidence in their machine in corners to be able to make up for lost time on the straights.
Here we see a photo of the 2020 version of the chassis of Fabio Quartararo's motorcycle. The key area to look at on the chassis is the main beam, specifically where all the cutouts are just above the Monster Energy logo. This is the area that Yamaha has changed to return to a design closer to the 2019 version.
Here is the 2021 chassis, on which the modifications made are notable. While it is this chassis that allows Fabio Quartararo to be the current leader of the World Championship on his Yamaha, Maverick Vinales still complains of the same problems. So, inexplicably, he explains that he has no feeling with the front axle, which does not give him the confidence to put the bike on the corner, because he does not know where the limit is. It's a troubling situation Yamaha finds itself in as one rider finds the new chassis to his liking, while the second factory rider complains about it. However, given Fabio Quartararo's current ranking and the fact that Maverick Vinales and Yamaha are parting ways at the end of the season, it's a safe bet that Iwata's engineers are orienting their development towards the French rider.
Another novelty brought by Yamaha during this season was this mudguard, which is perforated on its upper part. But in fact, the shape of this mudguard was designed to better manage the temperature of the front tire, in order to limit its overheating and prevent its pressure from skyrocketing on certain tracks.
Even though in 2020, Yamaha had made a new engine available to its riders, the riders' complaints regarding the degradation of the rear tire had not changed. But in 2021, the Yamaha seems to be hurting its tires much less. One of the main variables in this change, besides the chassis change, is probably Yamaha's paradigm shift in its approach to Magneti Marelli electronics.
Before the 2020 season, Yamaha used the following map strategy: riders started the race with the maximum torque map, but with low traction control, and shortly before the halfway point, they switched to a higher torque map. soft combined with higher traction control, in order to preserve the tire.
By increasing traction control while torque mapping is limited, the engine does not accelerate as quickly out of corners. Indeed, even if the amount of torque delivered to the tires is limited, the motor still provides enough torque to make the tires slide. And with high traction control mapping, this combines two performance limiting effects, since when the tire slips, the ECU delivers less torque to the tires.
During the first race in Qatar, it looked like Maverick Vinales had started to abandon the 2020 approach and strategy. The Spanish driver did not rely on more traction control to protect his rear tire in the final half of the race. race. Instead, he uses less traction control and relies on his right hand to manage torque to get out of corners as quickly as possible without slamming his tires. From the second race in Qatar, during the GP, the same strategy was applied for Fabio Quartararo.
Despite a Maverick Vinales who complains about the chassis of his Yamaha, it is still the team which leads the World Championship at mid-season. This machine undoubtedly has a power deficit compared to the monstrous Ducati, for example, but this shows that traction, the ability of the in-line 4-cylinder to go through curves very quickly and to preserve the life of the tires are often more important than pure power.
Photos: Dorna Sports
