It wouldn’t be unfair to say that almost all of the press corps who attended the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano felt the precise racing was one thing of an inconvenience. The standard post-race check on the Monday was the much more vital a part of the weekend.
For the previous few months, as Yamaha and Honda have languished on the backside of the producers’ standings and struggled for any sort of type resembling the outcomes both used to get pleasure from, their respective superstars have turn into more and more disillusioned.
Yamaha’s 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo has simply two podiums to his credit score in 2023, whereas Honda’s eight-time title winner Marc Marquez has scored fewer factors than KTM wildcard Dani Pedrosa – who has contested simply two rounds this season.
Over the course of the San Marino weekend, Marquez’s future dominated headlines. Because the Misano check signalled a pivotal level in what he does for 2024, he was closely and continually linked to a shock Gresini Ducati switch. Some confidently wrote the deal was accomplished, others suppose it’s ever extra doubtless after Monday’s check.
Perception: 10 things we learned from the 2023 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix
Marquez moved to minimize the significance of the Misano check. Certainly, some consider he has already made his resolution. He informed the media on Monday halfway via the check that, first, he had two choices to determine on, before telling the Spanish media that he has three.
“Yeah, in fact there’s a deadline. Round India, Japan, I’ll determine,” he mentioned. Marquez remarked over the race weekend that he was “enjoying” the speculation, a cryptic ‘one thing is coming’ put up on the positioning previously often called Twitter in the course of the spherical confirming this contentment to stir the pot.
This all fed into his pretty generic solutions about what he needed from the check when requested about it by Autosport after ending sixth in Sunday’s race, stating that he was looking purely for performance.
Marquez was a person in demand in his briefing with the media on Monday
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On that, he was left upset. Honda introduced its first 2024 prototype to the Misano check, nevertheless it was primarily only a new chassis. The engine was a lot the identical because the one he has been racing this season. Whereas 14th on the timesheets means completely nothing on the Misano check, as Quartararo will later clarify, Marquez’s feedback did nothing to counsel that the outlook for his future with Honda was any higher.
“Yeah, in fact, it’s fairly a special using fashion. However in the long run, the issues are roughly the identical. So, we have to work extra,” he mentioned when Autosport requested him what he considered the 2024 prototype, alluding to his ongoing rear grip points.
He then famous: “It’s totally different on the using place. It’s a bit totally different. The way in which to really feel the bike, it’s true that at first, it’s a bit unusual. However then lap by lap, as with a brand new bike, turns into extra pure. However in the long run, the way in which to journey, the way in which to search for the lap time is similar as the present one.”
What Marquez needs from Honda to maintain him round in 2024 was by no means going to return on the monitor within the Misano check. He has tasked staff boss Alberto Puig to go on a recruitment drive for engineers, ideally these with a extra open European mentality
No different Honda rider was notably Positive. LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami mentioned HRC’s engineers didn’t appear that shocked by the disappointing suggestions from the chassis. Honda didn’t convey a brand new engine to the check, and there’s no assure one might be prepared by the Valencia check on the finish of November.
In actuality, the suggestions from the Honda secure concerning the new bike wasn’t surprising as Stefan Bradl’s wildcard outing for the HRC check staff in the course of the grand prix weekend failed to supply any signal of huge steps ahead.
Nonetheless, as Autosport’s Spanish colleague Oriol Puigdemont wrote last week, what Marquez needs from Honda to maintain him round in 2024 was by no means going to return on the monitor within the Misano check. He has tasked staff boss Alberto Puig to go on a recruitment drive for engineers, ideally these with a extra open European mentality that has served Ducati, Aprilia and KTM so effectively of late.
Recent impetus was evident at Misano. There have been a number of latest engineers throughout the Honda garages, Marquez noting final Saturday that “Japan is reacting” to his demands on this regard. Marquez additionally revealed that Honda has introduced in an aerodynamics engineer from Honda’s System 1 staff, which follows HRC president Koji Watanabe’s declarations that the four-wheel aspect of the corporate will assist the ailing MotoGP challenge.
Honda has been tasked with bolstering its engineering employees to persuade Marquez to remain, however enchancment will take time
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“It’s true that there are new engineers,” he mentioned. “Appears like they begin with that new bike, then in fact they’ll begin working as a result of what from what I perceive it’s not a very long time these new engineers have been engaged on this new bike, new challenge. So, let’s see. They don’t have a lot time for Valencia as a result of it’s in two months, however let’s see if they will do a step.”
He continues to place strain on Honda, demanding motion and never phrases. However even when he decides to honour his contract, HRC hasn’t gotten off on the precise foot and there isn’t a lot time to get the 2024 bike improved for subsequent season.
Quartararo is in an identical state of affairs to Marquez, although there isn’t any doubting that the Frenchman might be on the Yamaha in 2024. With that, not less than, it has saved some deal with the duty at hand – even when he has repeatedly echoed Marquez’s push for his manufacturing facility to cease speaking and ship what it has lengthy promised.
Yamaha has not less than been a bit busier than Honda, with a brand new chassis, new aero and engine delivered to the check. Quartararo targeted on the aero and the engine, whereas team-mate Franco Morbidelli put the brand new body via its paces – although he didn’t prefer it very a lot.
The engine was the important thing factor Quartararo has been asking for from Yamaha, who has been working with ex-Ferrari F1 man Luca Marmorini over the previous 12 months to try to get some extra energy. Marmorini was current at Misano, listening intently to Quartararo’s suggestions in the course of the check.
When Quartararo got here to talk to the media, he had but to have a correct debrief with Marmorini. And that was in all probability a great factor.
“I examined it and the sensation was… I anticipated a lot better from this check, however we have now to remain Positive and attempt to analyse what occurred to enhance for the Valencia check,” he mentioned when Autosport asked about the engine.
Pace entice figures have been pretty sort on Quartararo on the check, wherein he was sixth general. However he was nonetheless some 5km/h down on the quickest Ducati and genuinely struggled to search out any positives from the assorted new components he tried: “Once I tried the 2023 bike, I believe it was the primary time the place I felt the engine was a bit bit higher. However at this time I didn’t really feel it”.
Quartararo is aware of he’ll be using a Yamaha subsequent 12 months, however was upset with the progress of its new engine
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The most important difficulty Quartararo had on the check was the actual fact the Misano floor was so grippy from days of operating prior. Thus, he claimed, the occasions he did have been “pretend”.
“I believe in all places we’d like [power] to be sincere,” he mentioned. “However the greatest factor for us, when the monitor is excessive in grip it adjustments our bike completely. I did 1m31.4s with virtually 20 laps on the tyre and that is my qualifying lap from the weekend.
”After all, the others are a lot sooner than us. However the hole to them when there’s low grip and excessive grip is far smaller for them. Us, our tempo improves virtually one second [when there is grip] – seven-tenths, eight-tenths. With them, it’s not as a lot.
“After all we’re in a tricky second however I’ve to remain well mannered. We each need the identical factor. After all, it’s troublesome, however I desire to remain calmer” Fabio Quartararo
“I believe final 12 months we went incorrect additionally on this space, that each time you exit, each bike is popping [laps], [there is lots of] Michelin rubber. And it’s a monitor the place you spin lots. So, you allow lots of the tyre [on track]. For those who go to Flip 3 now, it’s black. So, then you definitely open the throttle and within the race weekend, you need to management as a result of it’s sliding. [In the test] you’ll be able to keep extensive open and it’s [the performance] pretend.”
Not that it made a lot of a distinction, as Quartararo famous Yamaha check rider Cal Crutchlow provided largely comparable suggestions concerning the bike when he privately ran it at Aragon final week, the place grip ranges are a lot decrease.
Confusingly, Yamaha chief Massimo Meregalli informed motogp.com after the check that it was happy with what it noticed. This appears extra like an try to save lots of face than something, nevertheless it doesn’t communicate a lot of the coalescence inside Yamaha proper now.
Quartararo remained diplomatic despite his evident disappointment, ploughing a very totally different narrative to that which at the moment envelopes Marquez and Honda. Quartararo is resigned to the truth that, no matter occurs, he should race with an M1 in 2024, and admits to being too “smug” in his early season criticisms.
Quartararo accepts he was smug in his early season criticisms, however has a call to make about his post-2024 future
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“I imply, Yamaha believed in me once I arrived from Moto2,” he mentioned. “My perspective in the beginning of the 12 months was a bit bit extra smug than what I needed to do. So, in fact, we’re in a tricky second however I’ve to remain well mannered. We each need the identical factor. After all, it’s troublesome, however I desire to remain calmer and attempt to construct a greater mixture with all people.”
Yamaha and Quartararo might “need the identical factor” when it comes to outcomes, however the place they might differ now after the check is on 2025. Quartararo should begin fascinated with his post-2024 plans within the coming months as all manufacturing facility seats come onto the marketplace for the next 12 months.
Given what he was in a position to do on the Yamaha in 2021 and 2022 regardless of its issues, Quartararo might be a needed man. This check was vital for Yamaha to show it may well ship what he wants. And whereas it introduced lots, the Frenchman conceded “I believe we’ll take out lots of issues and attempt to construct some new issues for the Valencia check”.
And whereas it’s not a on condition that Quartararo will go away from Misano along with his thoughts made up, Yamaha now faces a more durable job in convincing him to commit his future to it.
For Quartararo or Marquez, there was no massive revelation on the Misano check – no magic bullet answer heralding the tip of their distress and woe. That was all the time unlikely, although.
And, for now, there isn’t any finish in sight for his or her struggles.
Neither Quartararo nor Marquez got here away from the crunch check with the solutions they have been in search of
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