The Blu Crew MotoGP fans have had a lot to cheer about these past few rounds, including two pole positions courtesy of Fabio Quartararo. But claiming pole position and keeping it throughout the race are two different things when you're riding an inline-4 motorcycle versus a grid of V4s. Quartararo couldn't even hold off the rookie sensation Fermín Aldeguer to claim a podium in the French GP.
It didn't appear to be Quartararo's lack of skill, but rather a lack of capability from his Yamaha M1. As promising as the French rider's recent results have been, Yamaha needs to get a V4 on the grid ASAP, and Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha's motorsport director, knows it.
According to Pavesio, "The project is in full swing. However, I would like to emphasize again that this isn't about rebuilding an engine. We're talking about a completely new motorcycle, and we're working on making the bike race-ready. In addition to pure functionality, we also need to create a setup for competition. Only then can we continue the internal comparisons with the current bike."
