Exhaust? Aero? ‘New things’ for Quartararo at Jerez test

The former world champion began this season by pairing the new M1 engine with older chassis and aero parts but is just tenth in the standings after the Portuguese and Argentine rounds.

While early race contact with other riders has hampered his results, Quartararo has also struggled to set a flying lap in practice and qualifying, leaving him 10th, 8th, 9th and 7th in the races so far.

The low grip Termas track proved particularly tough for the Frenchman, who was outpaced by team-mate Franco Morbidelli for much of the weekend.

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Part of the reason, Quartararo believes, is that he is still searching for a base set-up having only switched to last year’s aerodynamics on the final day of pre-season testing.

“The positive is that in the wet we showed great pace,” Quartararo said after Argentina. “In the dry, for me our first day of testing was the last day of Portimao and we don't have our base [yet].”

Unpredictable weather had then complicated the search for a set-up in Termas de Rio Hondo.

“FP1, we try the bike. FP2 we wanted to try [something else] but it was still difficult. In the Sprint race, I started with another setting. If the {Sunday] race was dry, I would have tried another because we are still not ready.

“I'm always angry because I want to be up there. But I know that there is still a lot of work to do to be on top.”

That work will involve new parts from Yamaha.

“I think for Jerez we will have some new things,” he said. “It will not change my life. But every time we can find a half-tenth or something, we have to take it. And hopefully in the Jerez test we can try some really good parts.”

The 23-year-old also made clear the decision to use last year’s aero was a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution.

“I think we'll have an exhaust to try that looks like it's a bit better and some aero that I think is right now super important,” he explained. “We are using some really old stuff, but we need to find the direction to improve and I think the Jerez tests we will try it.”

Before that test, Quartararo will need to face the upcoming Americas Grand Prix at COTA as well as the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

“As [the bike] is today, not so great,” he admitted when asked what he thinks is possible next time in Texas. “But I think that Austin hopefully has great weather and we can work a little bit more on our bike.

“Right now I don’t have a [specific] goal. I want to feel fast and be closer to the top guys, whatever the position is. We have to fight for it and try to be calm.”

Quartararo is currently 32-points behind Argentine winner Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati)  and 23 from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo).

Morbidelli, who took a pair of fourth places at Termas, is three points ahead of the #20.

Meanwhile, test riders from most MotoGP manufacturers are set to take part in a private test at Jerez this week, where HRC could make its rumoured debut with a Kalex chassis in the hands of Stefan Bradl.