VOLUME ISSUE FEBRUARY , P29
Yamaha Stars Shrug Off Mishap
Y
amaha's Sepang test was
nothing short of disastrous.
But two of its stars attempted to
downplay the dramas from the
Iwata factory, as it pulled its riders
from day two of testing due to
concerns over engine reliability.
The new V4 YZR-M1 received
a baptism of fire in the Malaysian
heat. Alex Rins was 1.1 seconds
off Alex Marquez's fastest time.
More concerning was that Jack
Miller was 1.4 seconds slower
than the younger Marquez brother
per lap during a 10-lap Sprint
simulation.
"It's a hiccup, but it is what it is,"
said Miller, who at least appeared
unfazed on the surface. "You'd be
extremely naive if [you thought
it was possible] to build a bike in
nine months to race against the
best in the world and not have a
day like we had [on day two]. It's
par for the course. Better [to have
it] now than at the Buriram race."
Rins also tried to shrug off
spending day two on the side-
lines. "Luckily, all the big things
that we had to test we already
tested at the Shakedown and
first day of the official test," said
the Spaniard. "I don't want to say
that it didn't change anything,
because any time that you go on
track, you ride and you cannot
lose time, especially now. They
said to us that we couldn't ride
because Fabio [Quartararo] and
Toprak [Razgatlioglu] broke some
engines, so for [safety], it's better
to check everything.
"It looks like they identified the
problem, and because of this,
they allowed us to ride," Rins said.
"They are [sure] that the problem
is under control. For Thailand,
also more engines will arrive, so
we will be able to ride freer."
Neil Morrison
The Sepang test was horrid for
Yamaha, but Alex Rins believes there
is light at the end of the tunnel.
