VOLUME 58 ISSUE 12 MARCH 23, 2021 P89
YAMAHA Know Your Weakness
Based on lap times alone, Yamaha
should be considered a sure-fire bet
for its first rider's title since 2015.
Yet with engine development frozen
for factories without concessions, it
has been able to make little headway
on the top-speed deficit that plagued
its challengers in 2019 and 2020. In
qualifying trim, the M1 remains ca-
pable of brilliant lap times. And when
alone on track, the rhythm of three
of its riders is just as strong.
Yet each Yamaha contender is
acutely aware of the machine's
Achilles Heel: top speed. In a battle,
the M1 remains down on its rivals,
making overtaking perilous, and all-
or-nothing braking feats a necessity.
Petronas SRT's Franco Morbidelli—
still on an effectively 2019-spec
bike—surmised it nicely. "I have a
bike to win. Not a bike to fight too
much." Qualifying and starting well
will be imperative, something not
lost on Vinales who spent the final
three days working on his starts.
Quartararo's promotion to the fac-
tory squad in Valentino Rossi's place
has been seamless. The factory's
2021 chassis is a big step forward on
what they raced last year. A new aero
package and front fender have slightly
reduced its top speed handicap and
aids-front- tire cooling. But a clearer
picture of its progress won't arrive
until May as the Losail International
Circuit has always been a Yamaha
track.
Francesco Bagnaia
moves up to the
factory Ducati
team. Much is
expected of the
young Italian
who replaces
compatriot Andrea
Dovizioso.
