Yamaha join KTM in seeking a new satellite team

KTM, who currently run the Tech3 GASGAS team as well as their factory squad, intend to add to their four bikes on the grid by acquiring one of the existing satellite teams and have enquired about LCR.

Yamaha lost their satellite team RNF to Aprilia this season and acknowledge that running only two bikes leaves them unable to retrieve enough data.

"That's a big disadvantage," said team manager Massimo Meregalli to Motorsport-Total.

"In the end we do the job 100 percent ourselves. The others can split it up, maybe each team can take on 25 percent.

"Even if we talk about the tyres, maybe they can share the task of choosing tyres, but we can't.

“That's just an example, but unfortunately that's the way it is.”

Ducati have eight riders under their umbrella - their factory pair plus the Pramac, Gresini and Mooney VR46 teams.

Yamaha remain the only factory team without a satellite team this season.

"We didn't want to lose the satellite team and we will certainly have our satellite team back in the future,” Meregalli said.

"Not for 2024 yet, because all teams have an agreement for the period 2024. But as soon as we start next season, we will start the discussion about it.”

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo missed out on retaining the MotoGP championship on the final day of 2022, although in reality his slump began far earlier as Ducati took over.

This year, Yamaha’s woes have worsened and they attribute part of the reason to adapting to a new weekend schedule which allows for less development, all the while running with only two bikes.

"But we don't want to use that as an excuse,” Meregalli said.

“But, you know, we don't have another satellite team and we have to rely on our two riders to gather information in that short time.

“When you have more riders, it's easier.

"And for us it's always more difficult. Sometimes you might want to compare different set-ups, but time is very tight because FP1 is maybe the only session where you can compare anything.

“But in FP1, the riders first have to get used to the track. In addition, the track is never in a good condition.

"The perfect session might be FP2, but in FP2 you have to try to prepare for the race and then you have to do a time attack to get into Q2. It's very complicated.

"And then FP3, that's the session that's okay, completely free. It's in the morning, so the conditions are sometimes not so good. The temperatures are not the same as in the afternoon.

"So this format is certainly very good for the show. But much less for the working people."