Quartararo needs to see Yamaha progress before signing 2023 MotoGP deal
World champion Fabio Quartararo says he won’t sign a new Yamaha MotoGP deal until he sees tangible progress with its 2022 bike having expected more from the Jerez test.
The first pre-season test of the 2022 season got underway on Thursday at Jerez, with Quartararo ending up ninth fastest and 0.707 seconds off the pace.
The world champion tested Yamaha’s 2022 bike, but sounded flat when he said the motorcycle was basically the same as the prototype he tested at Misano in September having admittedly expected more new items.
With Yamaha keen to get Quartararo on a deal for 2023 and silly season likely to kick into high gear over the winter, the 2021 world champion says he will not sign anything before he sees what Yamaha brings to the Sepang pre-season test in February.
“No, I think it's still early,” he said when asked about a 2023 deal with Yamaha.
“I don't want to sign anything before Malaysia at least: I want to see the evolution of our bike.
“I think it's normal. I don't think it's normal to sign for 2023 without having started 2022, so I think I know where my value lies.
“I will wait a little while to see how the team positions itself with Yamaha, especially to see the evolution or not of the new bike in Sepang.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“I am asking for very important things. After that, it's something that if they don't show what I'm asking for, at least that they try and that there is a small improvement, that's good.
“But if I see that they go in a totally different direction, it can affect my future with Yamaha.”
The key change Quartararo wants to see with the 2022 bike is more power, with the Yamaha regularly 8km/h plus down on the Ducatis this season.
When asked by Autosport what his general feeling on the 2022 bike was after day one at Jerez, he said: “Well, we tried a really similar bike as Misano… well, to be honest, it was the bike of Misano.
“So, we tried that, we tried more things that are a new swingarm, some electronics, anti-wheelie.
“But to be honest it was a really similar test as Misano.
“More work needs to be done to feel an improvement. Still, [there’s] some, like you’d imagine, the bike is the first step and we hope for much better in Sepang.”
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