Factory Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo has said he would be happy to race its new V4 MotoGP bike this year provided its performance comes within half a second of the current in-line four.
After the four Yamahas brought up the rear of the field at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, there have been calls for the Japanese manufacturer to race the new machine earlier than envisioned.
As the feeling grows in the paddock that Yamaha has little to lose given the Austrian debacle, Quartararo was quizzed about the V4 ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Frenchman was openly against Yamaha’s cautious timeline, which likely involves the race riders only getting a first taste of the machine at next month’s Misano test. Until now, only test riders have ridden the V4 – a project that began last year.
“Yes, I wanted to test it [already],” said the 2021 world champion. “But I think they are late in the development of the bike.
“My feeling was we had to test it [already], but I’m not the one that chooses if I need to ride the bike or not. I think they are scared that the bike is not ready and is not good enough for me to try it.”
Quartararo was also open to the idea of racing the V4 this year: “I mean, it depends how good or bad it is, but of course we need a change. And also it would be an idea for us to see where our bike is.”
Pressed for a more precise definition of “how good or bad it is”, Quartararo was asked whether the V4 being within half a second of the current in-line four would represent enough promise to enter races immediately.
“For me, I think yes. I mean, I think that if I try it and I’m less than half a second off my lap time, I think it’s a good step. Because it would be the first time that I would really use it.”
Yamaha has thus far only drip-fed information about the new bike, and is yet to test it in public. But ahead of last month’s Czech Grand Prix, Quartararo's team-mate Alex Rins let slip that it was, at that point, roughly two seconds a lap off the current machine.
