Despite the calm displayed by Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha’s managing director, after the Japanese manufacturer’s underwhelming season opener in Thailand, several signs suggest the level of concern runs much deeper than it may seem.
To begin with, it was striking that the company did not allow any of its four riders to speak to the media following the first grand prix of the season. Particularly noteworthy was the case of Toprak Razgatlioglu, who was not given the opportunity to explain how he felt after his first MotoGP grand prix. The three-time World Superbike champion is a personal bet from Pavesio, and in his first full-length race in the premier class he crossed the line 17th, 39 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi and nine seconds adrift of Fabio Quartararo in 14th, the fastest of the Iwata marque’s riders.
