Fabio Quartararo would like Yamaha to make better use of Andrea Dovizioso’s potential in development – he sees great potential in his experience
Yamaha wants to continue improving in MotoGP. The Japanese manufacturer has seen some rays of hope in recent races, thanks to Fabio Quartararo’s three pole positions in Jerez, Le Mans, and Silverstone, which gave new hope, similar to the strong start to the preseason in Sepang.
However, aside from these positive signs, the M1 continues to struggle, especially in low grip and high temperatures. A case in point was the last Grand Prix in Aragon, where Quartararo had traction problems from Friday onwards that could not be resolved by changes to the electronics.
The Frenchman tried to make improvements during Monday’s test. Yamaha continued private testing in Barcelona that same week with Pramac riders Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira, as well as test rider Augusto Fernandez. Andrea Dovizioso was also on site to help advance the manufacturer’s V4 project.
The former MotoGP rider was also seen in the Yamaha pit during the Aragon Grand Prix and subsequent Monday tests. When asked how he could help him, Quartararo replied: “I think he’s a rider who is the complete opposite of me. And precisely because he’s so different, he can help me.”
“The way he explained things to me and the fact that he can also give information to the engineers… He knows exactly what’s happening on the bike and which details are important. And I think that’s very important for the engineers.“
Quartararo cites chattering in races as an example: ”I never get to the point where the chattering gets worse and worse. I can feel it clearly, but you can’t see it in the data because I control it. Andrea can’t, and the engineers may not know if they only see the data. That’s why communication between riders and the team is so important,” he adds.
That’s why the 2021 world champion would like Yamaha to make even better use of Dovizioso’s potential. “It can be a bit boring for him just sitting in the pits. But when there’s a race nearby, in Europe, Italy or Spain, and he can come, that helps.”
“I don’t think we’re making enough use of him. The team should give him the opportunity to get more involved in the technical work,” Quartararo argues.
His Yamaha teammate Alex Rins agrees: “Having Dovizioso in the garage is really positive. He can contribute his point of view. He’s a very talented and experienced rider. So it’s great to have him here. He also agrees with our comments and listens.”