MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo finds late improvements to claim a top five position during the opening day of MotoGP testing in Mandalika.🍎 

The Yamaha rider, who has already lamented the lac🎉k of top speed improvements made by the Japanese manufacturer, was one of several riders to jump up the order during the♛ final hour of running. 

While so🎃me riders decided to use a new tyre for their fastest run, Quartarar𒁃o instead set his quickest time on 16 lap-old mediums.

After struggling somewhat in Sepang, clear we🅘ather and a chance to better understa🐲nd the 2022 M1 in dry conditions would have been beneficial, however, when asked if today was a ‘lost day’, Quartararo said the opposite. 

"No, to be honest it was a really important day. Ok, the first 30 laps were tricky because of the condition, but then as soon as I put the💙 soft tyre on in the middle of the day and made a step, then I was feeling fine," added Quar💖tararo. 

"I was really fast with used tyres and I made my fastest lap with a 16 la𒁃ps medium. So I was happy𓆏. 

"Our pꦚace was strong so I’m looking forward to making a time attack and seeing our potent♔ial."

With Ducati believed to have made significant improvements to their new GP22 compa☂red to last year - although its performance has not yet matched expectation during testing - while Honda, Suzuki and Aprilia all look to have made big steps, Quartararo is likely to need more from Yamaha. 

But with no sizable upgrades coming h🧜is way, the French rider is already talking up the importance of making every qualifying session count this year, as first or second row is the minimum he can afford.  

Quartararo said: "Well, you know that I understand the bike for a long time already. From Sepang I understand well how we are with the bike.ꦺ As soon as the track was clear here I understood it also, so at the end I would say that I don’t need time to see the situation of Yamah♎a. 

"I know it and I know the behaviour ofౠ the bike during the first test. And of course I couldn’t really make a time attack, let's say. 

"That’s something that we need to work 🌳on more for meꦦ than the pace. Our pace today I felt was really strong. 

"But we are missing some training with the new tyre because I feel it will be a really important point for us to make every time attack count this year and to be on th⛄e first row, maximum second 👍row.

"At the end we have the same bike as Sepang. Our base is done. 💃We don’t have so many things to try. Here it is the same so I feel ready."