        Fabio Quartararo lies respectively 21 and 66 points ahead of Aleix Espargaro (second) and Francesco Bagnaia (fourth), the Frenchman holding a solid lead mid-way through the championship. He committed a first serious mistake at Assen but nevertheless headed off on holiday safe in the knowledge that he still has a comfortable advantage. With that in mind, we've taken a look at the stats and one thing is very clear - to date, 85% of world champions were already lying first at the mid-way point. But that remaining 15% is a figure not to be underestimated. 2008 between Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa  Falling into this latter category is Valentino Rossi, during the 2008 season. Mid-season, he was lying second, just four points behind Dani Pedrosa but went on to win the title, his third with Yamaha. The Spaniard&rsquo;s crash in Germany followed by injury to his left hand and right ankle meant that he was no longer able to fight and the Doctor was crowned champion three rounds ahead of time, in Japan. Lorenzo&rsquo;s last title and Mir&rsquo;s win fall into the 15%  Another case that bucks the trend is that of Jorge Lorenzo in 2015. At the mid-way point, he was lying thirteen points behind then team-mate Rossi. That year, we watched a long battle that continued right to the end, the Majorcan ultimately winning the title by just five points at the final Valencia round. And then there&rsquo;s 2020, when a consistent Joan Mir secured the title, despite having placed just fourth mid-season, behind Andrea Dovizioso, Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. In the second half of the season he was able to score more than twice the points of the Frenchman, with four podiums, which included his first win. As of now, there are still 225 points up for grabs, with new pages of motorcycle history set to be written during the last nine races. And once it&rsquo;s over, we&rsquo;ll see exactly which of the two percentages has grown. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Yamaha is already working with a view to 2023       

At the mid-way point, the Frenchman maintains a solid lead, but the past has taught us just how situations can change&hellip;

MotoGP, will Quartararo win the 2022 title? Here’s what the stats say

        It was already clear that the team and rider do not agree with the long lap penalty Fabio Quartararo received for what occurred at Assen, but here&rsquo;s further confirmation, if any were needed. Standing up to say his piece now is Lin Jarvis, Team Principal and Managing Director of Yamaha Racing. Jarvis&rsquo; words  &ldquo;Yamaha and the entire team have always striven for fairness and sportsmanship in MotoGP&rdquo;, begins Jarvis, &ldquo;We are disappointed to see the inequality with which penalties are applied by the Stewards panel. We wanted to appeal the decision of the Stewards on Sunday at the Assen track, but this type of penalty is not open to discussion or appeal. We then wanted to raise the issue with CAS (Court of Arbitration of Sport), but equally such a matter is not open to appeal. It is precisely for these reasons that correct, balanced, and consistent decisions should be taken by the Stewards in the first place and executed within the correct, reasonable time frame.&rdquo; Jarvis&rsquo; words are clear, with the Monster Yamaha team adding its own views as to the incident and its consequences, which can be summed up with &ldquo;the Monster Energy Yamaha team feels the FIM MotoGP Stewards panel is measuring the severity of race incidents with inconsistent, subjective standards that damage the fairness of MotoGP and the faith in the jurisdiction of the competent body.&rdquo; What&rsquo;s next? It&rsquo;s unlikely that the Stewards Panel will revoke its decision, but it&rsquo;s clear that, from now on, every decision should be taken with great care, to avoid any further controversy. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; from ugly duckling to frontrunner       

The Team Principal: "Disappointed with the outcome, and we can&rsquo;t even appeal. Correct decisions are needed"

Yamaha again attacks the Stewards Panel, Jarvis: “Inconsistent decisions”

        Zero points and a long lap penalty at the next round. This is what Assen brought Fabio Quartararo, who does not agree. Or rather, after having accepted the blame for the crash, it seems that the Frenchman is not happy with the penalty inflicted on him by race direction. After taking no action on several previous occasions - Nakagami at Barcelona for example, they have come down hard on the current champion. Fabio&rsquo;s outburst  &ldquo;Now you cannot try an overtake - writes Quartararo in an Instagram story &ndash; because they think you are too ambitious. From the beginning of the year some riders made &lsquo;racing incidents&rsquo; but apparently mine was too dangerous&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s not hard to work out to whom the Yamaha rider is directing his words, the Frenchman voicing his disagreement very clearly. &ldquo;Congratulations to the stewards for the amazing job you are doing&rdquo;, continues Quartararo, &ldquo;next time I won&rsquo;t try any overtaking, to avoid any penalty. Great holidays and see you at Silverstone&rdquo;. Strong words from Fabio, which are already firing up the second part of the season. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Dorna makes pre-emptive change to Japan GP schedule       

Fabio on Instagram: "Other riders have had racing incidents, apparently mine was too dangerous"

Quartararo against the Stewards Panel: “Congratulations, I won’t try to overtake again”

        Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s first mistake of the season came at the most unexpected time. During the Assen GP, the Frenchman made an error of judgement as he attempted to pass Aleix Espargar&oacute;. The Yamaha rider overdid it on entering the turn, crashing and hitting the Spaniard in the progress, a chain of events that had a real impact on the Aprilia rider, who was then forced to play catch up from the back of the field. In light of this, race direction has decided to punish the championship leader, who was found guilty of having gone too far. Long lap penalty to be served during the next GP  During the next Silverstone GP, Quartararo will have to complete a long lap penalty, in virtue of the damage he caused to his Aprilia rival in carrying out a move that race direction deemed to be &ldquo;overly ambitious&rdquo;. A race that will start with something of an uphill climb for the Frenchman then, who will be keen to make up for the mistake made at Assen. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Dorna makes pre-emptive change to Japan GP schedule       

Race Direction has decided to punish the Frenchman for his attempt to overtake, a move that had a serious impact on Aleix Espargar&oacute;&rsquo;s race&nbsp; &nbsp;

MotoGP: penalty for Fabio Quartararo, to be served during the Silverstone GP

        In the Yamaha camp or, more specifically, in the factory Yamaha garage, there is simultaneously laughter and tears. While, on the one hand, the team can celebrate the triumphs of Fabio Quartararo, the undisputed frontrunner in MotoGP right now, on the other hand, there is no denying the fact that Franco Morbidelli is struggling, battling against a whirlwind of negative performances. A whirlwind that began in the second half of 2021 in fact, when Franco - who returned at Misano following a knee injury - climbed aboard the factory M1 vacated by Maverick Vinales. Last season&rsquo;s races served as a lengthy test for the Italian who, on paper at least, should have put that experience into practice in 2022, when the M1 - again on paper - should have become a bike more suited to the number 21 rider. Unfulfilled hopes (for now)  Unfortunately though, the reality is very different, as Morbidelli has been unable to achieve the desired results, aside from a fifth place finish on day 1 in Qatar. He has often found himself languishing in the bottom half of the timesheets and the overall classification can only reflect this of course, with Franco currently placing 19th with 25 points, ten less than his Academy team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, for example. The problems affecting Morbidelli are clear - the 2022 M1 requires a particular riding style that, for now, only Quartararo seems to possess. All the set-up changes therefore appear useless, despite the glimpses of light that Franco occasionally cites over the course of a weekend. Not an easy problem for the former Moto2 champion to fix then, particularly with a view to the future. MotoGP runner-up just two years ago, Franky has a contract with Yamaha for next year but, if there no significant technical changes are forthcoming &ndash; fairly unlikely considering the performance of &lsquo;captain&rsquo; Quartararo &ndash; the Italian risks finding himself in purgatory. Translated by Heather Watson Ducati effective in MotoGP, but a first rider is needed in order to win the title       

Franco was expected to perform at a high level this year, but the limitations of the M1 prevail

MotoGP: 2022 is becoming a nightmare for Morbidelli

        A matter of grip. This is what Quartararo is thinking as Friday draws to a close at Barcelona, the riders forced to deal with the (lack of) grip that the Catalonian track offers. In these particular conditions, there are winners and losers, and the Frenchman appears to belong to the second group. &ldquo;There are bikes that adapt better to today&rsquo;s conditions, for sure, but conditions were really not good in my opinion. When you put in fresh tyres, it&rsquo;s like they&rsquo;ve already done ten laps, so it&rsquo;s hard to improve. We knew we&rsquo;d struggle in cases with poor grip, just as we knew that Aprilia would be quick in the same conditions. I can feel I&rsquo;m slow, but at the same time I also feel like I can&rsquo;t go any quicker, because through some corners I open the throttle but just don&rsquo;t go. I&rsquo;ve ridden well, but slowly&rdquo;. Quartararo: "I hope things change between now and Sunday"  Are you optimistic ahead of the race? &ldquo;If we raced today, I&rsquo;d have to limit the damage, but we know that grip on track improves as the laps go on, if it doesn&rsquo;t rain, so we hope that conditions on Sunday allow me to have better pace. Aleix is a lot faster, despite his tyres also dropping as the laps go by&rdquo;. Are you worried about the duration of the tyres for the race? &ldquo;Not particularly, I&rsquo;m just worried about being very slow. It&rsquo;s hard to know you have the potential but can&rsquo;t exploit it due to the track conditions&rdquo;. Morbidelli is closer to you now. Do you know why? &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure. I think it&rsquo;s just a matter of grip at this track, where you often have to wait a long time before opening the throttle, which mixes things up in terms of the playing field&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2: Pedro Acosta denies comparisons with Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez       

The Frenchman blames the asphalt: "There is very little grip, I open the throttle and don&rsquo;t go. I can feel that I&rsquo;m slow"

Catalan GP, Quartararo: “If we raced today, I’d just have to limit the damage”

        Somewhat surprisingly, Fabio Quartararo dominated the Portugal GP, running away with the win at the Portimao circuit, and this victory could prove very important in terms of the market. Nothing is yet defined for 2023, and although he didn&rsquo;t turn his nose up at Honda&rsquo;s &lsquo;advances&rsquo; a few weeks ago, Yamaha is doing its best to woo him. Jarvis&rsquo; optimism about the renewal  Yamaha principal director Lin Jarvis has confirmed this, telling Sky Sport: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re still talking, but I&rsquo;m optimistic, I think he should stay with us&rdquo;. The goal is clear then, to retain the only rider who is able to fully exploit the potential of the M1, who was crowned champion with them last year and who is currently leading the championship. The strongest rider the Iwata manufacturer has right now. Will it be tough to convince him to stay? The Frenchman has said he&rsquo;s not fully satisfied with the development, but the image we publish here, taken from Sunday&rsquo;s press release, tells of a renewed composure. Jarvis comments on Portimao and Jerez  Quartararo was phenomenal in the Portimao Race, Jarvis commenting: &ldquo;The circuit favours both us and his riding style. Our strength is entering the corners and maintaining our speed through the long turns, even when leant over. In the fourth sector, he was gaining two or three tenths&rdquo;. And in conclusion: &ldquo;He ran a perfect race and I can&rsquo;t wait for Jerez. It&rsquo;s a great track for him and us. Our championship has begun&rdquo;. The feeling is excellent ahead of the sixth round of the championship then, both on paper and in terms of mood; might the two parties perhaps come to an agreement after the upcoming weekend? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP 2023, Jack Miller and Ducati close to a renewal?       

The director of the Iwata team has commented on Yamaha&rsquo;s position regarding the current champion and next season

2023 MotoGP market, Lin Jarvis talks Fabio Quartararo’s renewal

        The start of the 2022 season has brought a turnaround for two well-known faces in the MotoGP World Championship. The first is 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo, and the second is former Yamaha rider, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. The two former team-mates seem to be experiencing very different situations compared to last season. The Frenchman, so happy with the Iwata manufacturer last year, is now crying bitter tears, while the Spaniard appears much more serene after moving to the Noale manufacturer. Quartararo and a situation that needs to change as soon as possible  How much can the MotoGP World Championship change, from one year to the next? A great deal it seems. The start of the season is once again highlighting the unpredictability of the championship. While the end of the 2021 season saw Fabio Quartararo celebrating the world title with his M1, this year the Frenchman seems increasingly inclined to leave the blue team. Sure, he scored a good result in Indonesia, where he was able to finish second despite the rain. But this has been the only positive result in three races, in that he finished ninth in Qatar and eighth in Argentina. Not to mention the championship standings as, although we&rsquo;re still only at the start of the season and anything can happen, he lies fifth with 35 points to date. In recent years, with no one specific leader dominating all races from start to finish, one factor has become crucial, and that is that consistency pays off. And so if Fabio is unable to win the races, he will need to finish at least top five to be in with a chance of the title. Something that is not happening right now. Already during pre-season testing, Quartararo had expressed his dissatisfaction with the M1, the top speed of which is not in line with that of the competition, but now the waters in Iwata are increasingly muddy, with the French rider being courted by various other teams. After the Argentinian race, the rider himself commented: &ldquo;A change of team is something to consider. My future is not clear, so I need to think carefully and take my time&rdquo;. Vi&ntilde;ales has made the right choice  And talking about consistent results, who is leading the way in the championship standings? Aprilia rider Aleix Espargar&oacute; who, thanks to a win in Argentina and a fourth and ninth place in Qatar and Indonesia, can feel satisfied, particularly thanks to an RS-GP and a team that is finally up at the sharp end and fighting on equal terms with its rivals. And, like Aleix, Vi&ntilde;ales also has reason to celebrate, the door to happiness having once again opened after the difficulties and frustration with Yamaha, the split and his arrival at Aprilia. He is still adapting to a bike that is very different to the Yamaha of course, but Maverick is definitely not short on talent and can achieve anything he wants with the RS-GP. While last year saw him crying bitter tears, the rider feeling as if the team did not really value him, he has nothing to worry about with Aprilia. It looks as if he and Quartararo have essentially reversed roles, the Spaniard now happy after a very tough period, and the Frenchman currently dealing with a number of issues that clearly don&rsquo;t facilitate his work. Will he too need to leave Yamaha in order to be able to smile once more? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Americas, Official: Marquez will be there, Texas awaits       

The French Yamaha rider is unhappy, just as Vi&ntilde;ales was last year on the same team. The move to Aprilia has given the Spaniard his smile back, considering also the growth of the Noale team which culminated in a win at Argentina

MotoGP: Viñales-Quartararo role reversal - who’s smiling now?

During a weekend that was already complicated by the cancellation of Friday&rsquo;s sessions owing to air freight delays, Franco Morbidelli&rsquo;s race in Argentina proved to be an uphill climb and ultimately came to a premature end after a stroke of bad luck. The Italo-Brazilian&rsquo;s Yamaha M1 suffered a puncture, which brought the rider&rsquo;s race to an immediate end.  A disappointing DNF for Morbidelli   &ldquo;Morbido&rdquo; is understandably disappointed and explains: &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know what caused the puncture. It was real bad luck&rdquo;. Fifteenth on the grid, he was nevertheless confident that he could catch up: &ldquo;We&rsquo;d made real improvement during our second exit in warm-up and I had good pace. I was starting to catch up in the race after an initial slump&rdquo;. He may well have been able to add to his tally of 14 championship points but instead he scored his first 0 of the season.  One of the Yamaha&rsquo;s problems   Having started fifteenth, he was lying eighteenth after lap one and comments: &ldquo;At the start of the race and with new tyres, our rivals have a lot of power so they&rsquo;re able to push and pass us. They don&rsquo;t have stronger pace than us, but they&rsquo;re able to get ahead early on&rdquo;. A real disadvantage for both Morbido and Fabio Quartararo: &ldquo;Then you have to gradually make up this lost ground, but you start from a long way back. It&rsquo;s not ideal&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s not easy to always have to play catch-up. Attention now turns to Texas.  Translated by Heather Watson  Valentino Rossi responds to Lewis Hamilton: &ldquo;Me in F1? I&rsquo;m old, I think&rdquo; 

Forced to retire after just seven laps, the Italo-Brazilian was left disappointed following a race that had also got off to a challenging start

Franco Morbidelli: &ldquo;What bad luck&rdquo;. Here&rsquo;s what happened to him in Argentina

Of the four Yamahas on track at Mandalika, only one failed to finish the race, that of Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian was stopped by an electronic problem just six laps in, as he was trying to make up ground after a less than shining start.  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m disappointed - says Dovizioso - when I turned the bike on, the dashboard didn&rsquo;t work, I couldn&rsquo;t see anything, I couldn&rsquo;t activate launch control, see the gears or change mapping. I was just riding and that was it, but I was making up some positions&rdquo;.  The Italian explains the other problems that emerged during the race. &ldquo;I had grip problems on the left side of the tyre already from lap one - continues the Yamaha WithU rider - and I couldn&rsquo;t use my right hand (throttle) in a natural way. A pity because I had good bike control. In a normal race, had I started further forward, I could have run a good race; Quartararo proved that&rdquo;.  Dovizioso: &ldquo;Too many problems&rdquo;   The Italian continues his analysis. &ldquo;I had too many problems, I almost &lsquo;stalled&rsquo; the bike because I didn&rsquo;t have launch control or grip on the left. It was hard to ride in a normal way. I felt OK with the bike and was in an acceptable position.&rdquo;  Dovi finishes by touching on the weather and track conditions: &ldquo;Being further back limited me because it was very difficult to see but the track was in good condition&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Espargar&oacute;: &ldquo;The Honda is very strong, but not with 4-year old tyres&rdquo; 

&ldquo;Unfortunately when I turned the bike on, the dash didn&rsquo;t work and I couldn&rsquo;t activate launch control&rdquo; commented the Italian post-race at Mandalika

MotoGP, Dovizioso: &ldquo;I could have run a good race, Quartararo proved that&rdquo;

        Fabio Quartararo starts over from the Indonesian GP. With the first race in Qatar behind him, one in which he failed to meet with expectation and felt frustrated with his ninth-place finish, it&rsquo;s now time to turn the page and the Mandalika circuit seems like the ideal place to do just that. The Yamaha rider appeared in great shape during pre-season testing at this track, setting the second fastest time overall. But will he be as productive this weekend? Quartararo: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m keen to make a fresh start here&rdquo;  &ldquo;It was really hard in Qatar &ndash; begins the Frenchman during the press conference &ndash; I expected a lot more, but it&rsquo;s true that we hadn&rsquo;t had the three test days, and we were lacking grip too. I gave it my all in the race, but the front pressure wasn&rsquo;t right. So I&rsquo;m keen to start over here. We were quick in testing at Mandalika and so we&rsquo;ll see what we can do&rdquo;. And Quartararo is quick to respond to those asking when they&rsquo;ll see the real Yamaha on track: &ldquo;The real Yamaha is the one you saw in Qatar! I wasn&rsquo;t feeling anything totally new on the bike, we&rsquo;ll see how this race goes. It will be important to keep an eye on the aerodynamics too.&rdquo; Seeking redemption at Mandalika  The current world champion looks to be one of the favourites at this track, considering the February tests that saw him place second behind Pol Espargar&oacute;: &ldquo;Many things have changed compared to the tests, the tyres for example. But I felt good here and also had good pace. We already know the ratios and the track, but we don&rsquo;t know what to expect for the race. I think it will be important to make the right tyre choice already tomorrow, so that we can work with those we&rsquo;ll use in the race&rdquo;. Quartararo: &ldquo;It was hard to accept a race like that of Qatar&rdquo;  Lastly, Quartararo is asked about his pre-race rituals: &ldquo;I like to listen to music &ndash; he explains &ndash; and then, when I go out on the track, I like to speak with the team and make jokes because if I focus only on the race I get anxious&rdquo;. And, in effect, Fabio has had a lot of stress to deal with after the first race of 2022: &ldquo;When I said I wanted to smash everything it was a joke of course, but I was frustrated. The pace hadn&rsquo;t been bad during practice but we were unable to take steps forward in the race. It was a tough weekend, it&rsquo;s not easy to accept, but now I feel ready, I know we need to come back strong and demonstrate our potential at this track&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Rossi and the Razali &ldquo;curse&rdquo;: &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t win again&rdquo;       

The French rider has said he was very frustrated after the first race but that he&rsquo;s now ready to turn the page and give it his all in Indonesia, where he completed strong pre-season tests

GP Indonesia, Quartararo: “The real Yamaha is what you saw in Qatar”

        Every rider&rsquo;s goal is to become world champion and last year Fabio Quartararo was able to do just that, securing the title with consistency and conviction and returning the trophy to Yamaha for the first time in six years. His relationship with the M1 has always been solid, but it now looks as if things are no longer moving in the right direction. That ninth-place finish in Qatar, along with the rider's clear dissatisfaction, is signficant, and comes in the same year that his contract with Yamaha is due to expire. So will the marriage continue? Quartararo covered his back over the winter  Over the winter, the young Frenchman made it clear that he&rsquo;d only continue with the Iwata manufacturer if the bike were competitive. During pre-season testing, he failed to find the power he was hoping for, and the first GP also proved disappointing from his standpoint. The ninth-place finish has done little to boost morale, the rider even having to tackle Q1 on Saturday, during what turned out to be a tough round for all the Yamaha riders. If we consider how, just one year ago, "El Diablo" was celebrating the win at Losail, the current situation is glaringly different. Yamaha needs a strategy  The riders&rsquo; market is still to get going, but this first round already raises an important question, or rather, will Yamaha and Quartararo renew their contract? Only time will tell, but manager Eric Mahe has confirmed his rider&rsquo;s dissatisfaction while talking to Canal+: &ldquo;The technical development of the bike doesn&rsquo;t seem as promising as we&rsquo;d hoped&rdquo;. Nothing new then, but guarantees will be needed if the manufacturer wants to retain a talent like Quartararo, MotoGP world champion at just 22 years of age, in only his third season in MotoGP. Mahe added: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fundamental that we understand what the Yamaha of the future will look like. Once we understand that, we&rsquo;ll start to think about the future&rdquo;. Quartararo is undoubtedly hot property on the market, but the Iwata manufacturer will need to play its cards right in order to keep him. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2: without a Kalex, it&rsquo;s increasingly hard to reach the top       

The M1 was not in the mix for the win at the Qatar season-opener and the marriage between the Frenchman and the Iwata manufacturer could waver

MotoGP, is a renewal between Quartararo and Yamaha looking increasingly unlikely?

        New season, same old problems. The Sepang and Mandalika tests have shone a spotlight on the negatives, with the M1&rsquo;s limitations appearing more serious at a time when the other manufacturers have taken clear steps forward. From the engine to tyre management after just a few laps, the bike has failed to satisfy the riders, who continue to hope for updates. We are talking about the very same bike that won the 2021 title and, in fact, at least in terms of performance, Quartararo looked as fast as ever during both tests. And yet, the Frenchman continues to underline that the bike has not improved in the areas he requires, not least the engine. And this is contrary to the Honda, Suzuki, Aprilia and Ducati of course, all of which have made visible progress. Quartararo quick but unhappy  In the Yamaha camp, there is more than one cause for alarm, with only Fabio Quartararo appearing competitive over both the flying lap and race distance, while all the other M1s finished outside of the top twenty in Malaysia. Only on the final day at Mandalika did the pace pick up. All the riders have complained about the performance of the bike with used tyres, as well as an engine that is not in line with that of the competition. Essentially, it&rsquo;s looking likely to be a complicated season start for the Iwata manufacturer as it deals with many of the same problems as last year, and with no important evolutions in the pipeline. And this is one of the reasons why Fabio Quartararo is displeased, the rider having hoped that Yamaha would do more to improve a bike that, in 2021, achieved its last win at the Silverstone GP, in August. In terms of speed, the world champion should be satisfied, in that he was one of the quickest during a race simulation. There doesn&rsquo;t seem to be much potential to extract from the bike though, or at least not in the French rider&rsquo;s opinion. Despite this, Fabio appears ready for the Qatar race, where he will almost certainly fight for the podium. And the situation is no better on the other side of the garage, although Franco Morbidelli&rsquo;s current difficulties have more to do with the fact he needs to find better feeling with the M1. The Academy rider seems more cautiously optimistic than his team-mate, but the problems highlighted are more or less the same. The fifth fastest time in the combined standings on day 3 at Mandalika was enough for the 2020 runner-up as he continues to return to his former speed and physical fitness, but we won&rsquo;t understand his real level until a few races in. The Frenchman shows strong pace, but is this down to the track?  Despite the issues outlined above, the stopwatch implies that the Yamaha is particularly fast in the hands of the Frenchman, the rider having set the second fastest time (1'31"074) at Mandalika, just 0.014 of a second from Espargar&oacute;. If we analyse his pace, the world champion performed the best over race distance, demonstrating significant improvement with respect to the simulation he carried out during the first Sepang test (where he only ducked under 1&rsquo;59 on three occasions, compared to seven times for Rins, five for Vi&ntilde;ales and four for Bastianini, Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Mir). If we consider a distance of fifteen laps, Quartararo was the quickest of all, maintaining an average of 1&rsquo;31.709. The Frenchman was the most consistent in terms of pace, putting together ten consecutive laps in the 1&rsquo;31s, unlike the other riders who slowed after a few laps, dropping to 1&rsquo;32. In this sense, Morbidelli&rsquo;s data should also be encouraging for Yamaha, the Italian also among the quickest in terms of pace. So if the stopwatch is so benevolent over both the flying lap and race distance, why does Quartararo seem so worried about the performance of the M1? The bike&rsquo;s solid performance may, in part, have to do with the track. Mandalika has a layout that suits the M1, with its flowing line, limited hard braking points, similarly limited acceleration from low speeds, and a short straight. A layout that is in fact all about rideability, high-speed turns and corner speed, which has always been a strength of the M1. This, as well as the changes of direction, another area in which the Japanese bike excels. Hence, the Indonesian track may have masked the M1&rsquo;s limitations, which may re-emerge at tracks that require more engine. Once again, the Yamaha&rsquo;s top speed is among the lowest, even compared to Aprilia - which was clearly not among the best last season &ndash; and Suzuki, which mounts an inline four like the Yamaha. The extra horsepower that Quartararo is looking for are still not there, and so last year&rsquo;s gap remains an issue. A gap that, for now, is compensated by a high-level frame and chassis, which are highlighted by the Frenchman&rsquo;s clean riding style. Complicated situation also for Andrea Dovizioso  And things are no better for the WithU team. Leaving aside Darryn Binder for now (it&rsquo;s too soon to draw any conclusions about the South African rookie), Andrea Dovizioso&rsquo;s words and performance tell of a similar situation. As the Italian himself admits, the best way to ride the M1 is to do as Quartararo does, which means the first races will see the rider focus on adapting to the bike, with a riding style that is closer to that of the Frenchman. Dovizioso&rsquo;s biggest problems have to do with his race pace, the Italian having lapped 1.5 seconds slower than the world champion. As for the flying lap, Mandalika brought significant improvement compared to Sepang, the Italian closing 0.830 from the first-placed rider. Dovi must continue to work on his riding style then, with the aim of finding the right speed while maintaining and managing the tyres, something that, for now, only Quartararo is able to exploit on the M1. Added to all this is the fact that there are unlikely to be any technical updates at the next tests either. In this sense, there is a clear difference between Yamaha and the other manufacturers. Honda has made a lot of changes and introduced new components with the aim of being competitive with all its riders, Suzuki has proved to be perhaps the strongest in terms of race pace, without forgetting Ducati and Aprilia. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer has shown to be the most competitive, while Aprilia looks to be the one that has improved the most over the winter. Basically, along with KTM, Yamaha appears to be the manufacturer most in difficulty following the winter tests. Only time will tell, but it looks as if Quartararo and Yamaha might be in for an uphill climb as they set out to defend the title. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marquez: &ldquo;I considered retiring, a miracle i got my sight back&rdquo;       

From Fabio Quartararo to Andrea Dovizioso, the M1 riders are discouraged as they highlight many of the same problems as last season

MotoGP, Yamaha: riders dissatisfied following the tests, is it time to worry?

        The 2022 MotoGP season is yet to get underway, but many are already asking whether we will see a return of the &lsquo;2020 version&rsquo; of Franco Morbidelli, or rather, a rider able to win races and fight for the title aboard the Petronas satellite Yamaha M1. Just as he did in his Moto2 days, that saw him win the 2017 title with Marc VDS while riding a Honda-powered Kalex, the Italo-Brazilian rider played a starring role two years ago. Three race victories and two further podiums saw him round out the year as championship runner-up, Joan Mir with the Suzuki. Today, the 27-year old is competing for the Yamaha Monster Energy team, the Iwata manufacturer&rsquo;s factory squad, of which he became part as of the 2021 San Marino and Riviera di Rimini round. When Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales left for Aprilia, Morbido came on board, leaving his place to Andrea Dovizioso. Knee injury behind him? We hope so  And so Franco contested five races aboard the factory M1 alongside Fabio Quartararo, who was ultimately crowned world champion. But while the Frenchman proved incredibly fast, Morbidelli struggled, perhaps due to the change in garage, mentality and technical staff, perhaps due to the additional responsibility he carried on his shoulders, but one detail definitely had a bearing. Before moving to the Yamaha factory team, number 21 hurt his knee at Le Mans. A pity, because the Jerez podium he&rsquo;d scored previously augered well, but instead, the rider was forced to sit out five consecutive weekends, from Assen to Arag&oacute;n, and score zero points as a result. He had no issues as team-mate to nine-time champion Valentino Rossi on the Petronas team. Rather, the problem was the injury and subsequent surgery and rehabilitation. And so when he climbed aboard the Monster Energy bike, Franco wasn&rsquo;t ride, needing time to get back in shape and regain both his speed and automatisms on his bike. Morbido lies in wait. Or is that Quartararo?  Let&rsquo;s say both, for reasons that are at once similar and different. Franco needs to prove himself following promotion to the factory team, while Fabio needs to consolidate his performance, or rather, win again. Easy right? Well, not exactly&hellip; It looks like we might be in for something of a derby inside the Monster Energy garage, even future contract negotiations likely to be a part of the battle. Morbidelli and Quartararo have been MotoGP team-mates already in the past, in 2020, when El Diablo suddently nosedived after having dominated almost all season, slipping from first to eight place in the standings. Of the two, it was the former Moto2 champion who came out on top that season. They were also Petronas travel companions in 2019, but it was the Nice native who did better on that occasion. The pages have turned several times, and now here we are, with everything up for grabs, from trophies and money, to recognition and even their jobs. Will we see a return of the Morbidelli of two years ago, a rider more than capable of putting on a show? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Zarco: &ldquo;I struggled to maintain concentration in 2021&rdquo;       

Franco just missed out on the title with the Petronas satellite Yamaha two years ago, having previously won in Moto2 in 2017. His Le Mans knee injury now behind him, will the Italo-Brazilian be able to go head to head with Fabio Quartararo? &nbsp;

Will MotoGP see the return of Morbidelli, version 2020?

        Yamaha has made an important announcement on day one of the MotoGP tests at Sepang. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha test rider since last year, will continue on in the same role in both 2022 and 2023. The Yamaha announcement  "Test rider confirmed. Cal Crutchlow will continue his work as Yamaha Factory Racing Official Test Rider in 2022 and 2023", announces Yamaha. Confirmation that the Iwata-based manufacturer trusts in the testing abilities of the British rider, who is a key component, along with the test team headed up by Silvano Galbusera, in terms of the development of the M1, which will be ridden by this season&rsquo;s factory riders Quartararo, Morbidelli and Dovizioso. Crutchlow&rsquo;s words  The factory Yamaha team&rsquo;s social channels also posted the British riders words with regard to the announcement: "I'm happy to be spending the next two years with the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team as their Official Test Rider again. I think it makes sense for all parties involved to continue our good working relationship from last year. Being a part of the winning team and manufacturer last season was something very special and it was nice to see it from a different perspective. Being able to help others &ndash; to help the team and the manufacturer to win the rider&rsquo;s title &ndash; was amazing. I will again put 100% into it and can&rsquo;t wait to work over the next two years." Translated by Heather Watson Carrasco: &ldquo;Leaving Kawasaki means leaving a family, but i want new challenges&rdquo;       

The Brit will remain with the test team until next year, contributing to the development of the M1 alongside factory riders Quartararo, Morbidelli and Dovizioso

MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha test rider until 2023

        &ldquo;For every end, there is always a new beginning&rdquo;. There&rsquo;s a lot of truth in this phrase from Antoine de Saint-Exup&egrave;ry&rsquo;s The Little Prince. A new beginning will always await us, even after the toughest and most complicated of endings. In all aspects of life, the even the world of sport, and Andrea Dovizioso is the perfect example. After a turbulent split with Ducati and a sabbatical, the Italian is now ready to start over. Everything is in place  He said he&rsquo;d return if the situation was right for him, or rather only if he came across an interesting, solid and stimulating project. And so it was that, just as he was getting muddy on the MX bike, having the time of his life, an offer capable of sparking his curiosity fell right into his hands. Specifically, the Yamaha M1 of new privateer team WithU RNF. Exactly the situation he was looking for then, one built on trust, attention to detail and balance. Hence, his decision to return to the world stage. And, last but not least, he will be supported by one of the most prestigious crew chiefs, a certain Ramon Forcada who knows the M1 inside out and has an enviable CV (that includes no less than three world titles with Jorge Lorenzo). His focus is not on results  &ldquo;Dovi&rdquo; will be the &lsquo;oldest&rsquo; on the grid but, instead of facing up to a career in gradual decline, as might generally be the case, he is now enjoying a second youth. The goal? Just one &ndash; to have fun. To experience the joy of riding on asphalt again, to enjoy the experience despite having to adapt to the new bike and work hard. But if he&rsquo;s able to achieve his goal, then perhaps this second coming could see him back where we were so used to seeing him during the golden years, up at the sharp end and fighting for prestigious results. Will he do it? Only the track can provide an answer to this question&nbsp;of course. That&rsquo;s how it is in motorcycling. But there&rsquo;s no denying the 35-year old&rsquo;s talent or the fact that the situation is right. Now it&rsquo;s all in his hands. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, official: Marc Marquez will be at Sepang for the IRTA Tests       

How many chapters make up our lives? A countless number. The Italian is ready to write new pages, and has one interesting goal

Andrea Dovizioso: a second life in MotoGP begins

        Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s MotoGP title win was undoubtedly well deserved, coming at the end of a season in which he was strong and consistent. The Frenchman finally got his hands on the trophy after the Misano GP, making the most&nbsp;of his first match point, when his main rival Francesco Bagnaia crashed while leading the way. The greatest emotion  As he thinks back to that time, the Frenchman tells Dazn: &ldquo;In a fraction of a second, I looked ahead and saw a bike in the gravel and thought, &lsquo;Jack crashed early on, so it must be Pecco&rsquo;. Then I looked at the maxi screens and told myself, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m world champion now&rsquo;. And I could barely ride any more&rdquo;. At that point, every second that separated him from the finish line seemed eternal, the rider admitting: &ldquo;I prayed for them to wave the chequered flag&rdquo;. From disaster to triumph  As the race ended, the emotions were unleashed: &ldquo;As I crossed the line, rather than thinking about all the great moments, it was the worst moments that popped into my head as I realised I had become world champion. It was an amazing feeling&rdquo;. His family and inseparable friend Tom had planned a celebration that &ldquo;I shared with those I love most. It was an incredible party that I&rsquo;ll always carry with me. In 2016, my mother in particular was crying with sadness. This time, we cried with joy&rdquo;. Yamaha had put its trust in him  Expectations were high as 2021 got underway, there&rsquo;s no denying it, particularly considering what the Frenchman had done over the previous two years while competing for team Petronas. The move to the factory team brought the expectation that he would be making history, but Fabio comments: &ldquo;I was taking the place of Valentino (Rossi) and it was even more stressful to see all those people around me&rdquo;. Having scored fifth place in the first race Qatar and then winning the second, he flew to Portugal where he enjoyed further success: &ldquo;When I won at Portimao, I told myself, 'This is my year&rsquo;&rdquo;. And so it was&hellip; Translated by Heather Watson Monica and Carlos, married in the name of Valentino Rossi and the World Championship       

The Frenchman describes those standout moments in which, still on the bike, he realised he was the new MotoGP world champion&hellip;

MotoGP, Quartararo admits: “At Portimao I realised 2021 was my year”

        The riders are training hard once more and the pre-season is just around the corner, with the first general test scheduled for 5 February, at the Sepang circuit. And we also have dates for the various team presentations. Kicking things off this month is team Gresini, which returns as a private team and embarks on a new adventure with Ducati and riders Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio. The squad will unveil its project on Saturday 15 January at 11 am CET. The calendar is coming together  The second of the twelve teams that will present to the public is the new WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team with Andrea Dovizioso and rookie Darryn Binder, who arrives from Moto3. They will present on Monday 24 January. After a week&rsquo;s break, the Pramac team takes its turn on 2 February, with Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin. And just two days&rsquo; later it&rsquo;s time for the factory Yamaha team presentation with Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, scheduled for Friday 4 February, just prior to the tests. On the same day, at the Malaysian track, the new Suzukis with which Joan Mir and Alex Rins will race will also be unveiled. The only, ambitious goal being the championship title. Presentation dates  15 January - team Gresini 24 January - WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team 2 February - Team Pramac Racing 4 February - Monster Energy Yamaha 4 February - Team Suzuki Ecstar Translated by Heather Watson Wisdom comes with age: Dovizioso the oldest MotoGP rider       

The first test session at Sepang will get underway on 5 February, the new season set to begin very soon. So when will we see the new liveries?

2022 MotoGP, the dates of all team presentations

        Fourth place at the Emilia-Romagna race was enough for Fabio Quartararo to become 2021 MotoGP world champion. He is the third rider to manage it under Lin Jarvis&rsquo; wing, after Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. In addition, this great result comes six years after the last, when Yamaha did the double with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi in 2015, but the Brit prefers today&rsquo;s sensations. Hats off to Fabio  "Although this title came unexpectedly, Fabio becoming champion wasn&rsquo;t unexpected&rdquo;, comments Jarvis. The first match point mathematically awarded him the title and the manager adds: &ldquo;Fabio has run a fantastic season and is a very deserving champion. He was very fast all year, very consistent, and even on a bad day he&rsquo;d bring points home so we&rsquo;re extremely grateful to him and pleased to be back on top after six years&rdquo;. He had this to say about the previous title, scored in 2015: &ldquo;That was a double, but honestly, that victory was complicated and we weren&rsquo;t able to really enjoy it amidst all the controversy&rdquo;. Jarvis: "Pecco did all he had to do"  Securing the title at Misano depended a lot on rival Francesco Bagnaia. Had the Italian won the race, the party would have been postponed. And he was doing a beautiful job, but then crashed five laps from the end, waving goodbye to his title dream. &ldquo;We thought Ducati would dominate, and they did during the first part of the race with Jack and Pecco who were very fast&rdquo;, admits Jarvis, but then came the error &ldquo;Pecco did all he had to do, but it wasn&rsquo;t easy to have that pressure. In addition, having Marquez right there just two tenths behind for the whole race was difficult. He made just one small mistake and we unexpectedly became champions&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP 2022, Quartararo will not use the 1: &ldquo;20 my only number&rdquo;       

The Yamaha CEO talks about the Frenchman&rsquo;s title, six years since the last victory, which left something of a bitter taste

MotoGP, Jarvis: “Quartararo’s title outdoes the 2015 double”

        Just as Joan Mir did this year, Fabio Quartararo has also opted against competing with the number 1 plate in 2022, a number that only the current world champion can choose. The Frenchman has already made his decision, one he bases on&hellip; history. The same number for his whole career  Interviewed by Infosport+, the 22-year old is clear: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not worth it. I really want to keep everything simple. And I&rsquo;m not even close to number one right now&rdquo;. He refers to his hero: &ldquo;For me Valentino Rossi is the example - he&rsquo;s won nine world titles and has never ridden with the number one. I think it&rsquo;s nice for the spectators mainly, because no one&rsquo;s used it for years. But 20 is the number I started with, and the one with which I&rsquo;ll finish my career&rdquo;. Surprise party  Going back to Sunday at Misano, a day he&rsquo;ll remember for the rest of his life, he admits he knew nothing of what was planned: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know about the celebration. I know they were planning a helmet and a party but, because I&rsquo;m quite superstitious, I preferred not to get involved&rdquo;. The party was done in style, with a maxi screen showing a video of Fabio as a child and then the golden helmet he wore: &ldquo;Many people have worked to organise this celebration and it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ll carry with me for the rest of my life&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Valentino Rossi: &ldquo;Marquez caused me to lose in 2015&rdquo;       

The Frenchman has just won the title but already knows which number he&rsquo;ll have on the fairing of his Yamaha, taking inspiration from Valentino Rossi

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