Quartararo: Good test, new parts, engine problems remain
Fabio Quartararo joined Factory Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi in tryi𓄧ng some🐻 new M1 chassis, electronic and exhaust parts during Tuesday's Misano test.
But while declaring it had been a 'good' and 'really positive' test, the Fren𝓰chman - who lost the world championship lead after falling in Sunday's race - 🍸also confirmed there was no progress in the area where he needs it most; engine performance.

Fabio Quartararo joineꦛd Factory Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and💖 Valentino Rossi in trying some new M1 chassis, electronic and exhaust parts during Tuesday's Misano test.
But while declaring it had been a 'good' and 'really positive' test, the Frenchman - who lost the world championship lead after falling in Sunday's race - also confirmed there was no progress in the area w🌱here he needs it most; engine performance.
"It was a really positive test because we had the chance to try many new parts and el♉ectronics," said Quartararo, who was ninth on the overall timesheets, 0.8s behind Vinales
"I'm happy because, not my fastest lap actually, but I did a '32.4 with a medium tyre that had done 2♑3 laps. I'm feeling great and we still have some things to try for the race weekend."
With engines sealed, Yamaha engineers are doing their best to find workaround solutions to mitigate a rumoured cut in🌞 performance, instigated when valve problems were ﷽discovered after the Jerez season opener.
"Unfortunately, no!" Quartararo said of improving the engine performance. "There were totally two different things let🎃's say.
"We are struggling with the engine and partly the chassis and electronics changes were trying to compensate a l♔ittle bit for the problem we have. But it's nothing that is really improving in [the area] we wish.
"We are doing our best, trying to manage and hౠonestly - of course, I'm not riding the bike so comfortable like in Jerez - but I'm getting used [to i⛎t]."
The Petronas rider added: "I think I'm struggling more than the other Yamahas because Maverick, Franco, Vale have much more experience tha🎐n me in MotoGP. For sure they had some issues, some similar problems [in the past] and actually last year everything was perfect [for me]. We made seven podiums. We didn't have any issues on the bike.
"And now I need to adapt.
"So I was struggling a lot, but riding in a different way - managing the gas, my body position... I can't really explain exactly how I'm doing on the bike, but I'm riding in a different way to Jerez so it's not really easy to adapt. But last weekend we had an unbelievable pace in prac🐻tice, unfortunately we had a crash ౠin the race, but today again the pace was really good and we will bring it to the next weekend."
The best hope in terms of improving engine output at the test probably came from a huge Bazooka-style exhaust (see below). It made a clear visual and audible impact, but Quartararoꦇ felt little else.
"The only real thing that I feel was it was much longer! And much more noisy!" he smiled. "But unfortunately we don't gain in acceleration and top speed. So we decided to make only one run. They checked on the data and saw it was not so great for me. So we decidedౠ to go back to the standard exhaust."
Fast has to be fast with his reactions today!
— MotoGP (@MotoGP)
Somehow he managed to keep his YZR-M1 upright at the fina👍l turn!
The ne🌳w chassis was less clear cut and may yet be seen again at the upcoming weekend.
"The chassis is still difficult to understand well because my fജeeling was really similar, so they will need to check exactly whether it improved or not and we will decide if we can use for this🅠 weekend," he said.
Quartararo's day began with a test of the proposed helmet radio system, which he feels has clear potential for safety purposes, meaning Race Direction messages, but doesn't want🐲 it to be expanded to team-rider🗹 communication.
"I tried in the first run but it was a standard headset and on the last lap o🐷ne side [fell out of his ear]," he said. "I think it's strange to have the radio. We had I think every 20-30s like a robot speaking [test messages from Race Direction], but I hope we will not have communication with the team. The only thing that is positive is for the safety. But I hope they will not go more [to allow communication with team]."
Quartararo's test then ended with the strange sight of three 'Fabios'🧜 lining up to get on his M1!
"Wilco [Zeelen⛄berg] came and said 'let's make a joke to the team'. Wilco went first into the box with my helmet and leathers on, then Tom, the✅n me. It was quite funny and some nice images. Of course if we had a bad test I would not do that but I was happy about today so it was fun to do that."
Petronas could have done with a few more Fabios earlier in the day, with team-mate and Sunday's race winner Franco Morbide🌠lli ruled out of the test due to a stomach upset.
You first Fabio
— PETRONAS SRT (@sepangracing)
No Fabio, after you
Our brain hurts...
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the foreᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚfront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issu🅰es.