Quartararo: “Yamaha will have to use concessions well, important year”

Having all achieved at least one podium, none of the five factories are eligible for the present concession system, which offers more engine changes per rider, private testing with race riders, in-season engine and aero development, plus more wild-cards.

But with testing limited and the new Sprint weekend format eating into free practice time, there are concerns Yamaha and Honda (or any other manufacturers in future) will find it hard to rise from the bottom of the constructors’ table.

In Yamaha’s case, as the only factory without the extra data from a satellite team, out-developing the series leaders is an even harder task.

A revised concession system, making it easier for manufacturers to drop in and out of concessions, plus some new technical perks, is thus on the table.

Among the new concessions mooted is a change in the test tyre allocation, so that the amount of tyres is no longer the same for all manufacturers.

Michelin’s Piero Taramasso told Crash.net the company would be “open to all propositions” when asked about such a move earlier this year.

The future division of test tyres could either be based on the number of bikes on the grid (fewer race riders = more test tyres) or proportional to race results.

The number of wild-cards a factory can have each season also appears up for debate. Not that Quartararo thinks such restrictions will hamper Ducati much.

“They have eight bikes!” he said. “It’s important for us, first of all, to have back a satellite team.”

But a Yamaha satellite team won’t happen for next season.

And while Ducati is already confirmed as filling the top three places in this year’s world championship, Yamaha now has just two more chances to avoid its first winless MotoGP campaign since 2003.

Indeed, despite a better second half, Quartararo has a fight on his hands with Jack Miller (KTM) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) just to remain in the final riders’ top ten.

Against that backdrop, the 2021 world champion emphasised that whatever likely benefits Yamaha has access to next season, the key will be to make the most of them.

“The concessions next year I think, if we have them, we have to use them really well because I don't think we will have them for so long,” Quartararo said, confirming the new concessions are likely to be gained and lost more easily than at present.

“I think if we have [access to] them for half a year or one year, it will be a lot.

“So we have to use them [to the maximum while we have them] and I think it will be the most important year for Yamaha.

“So hopefully they can really take the benefit of these concessions.”

Quartararo will be joined by new team-mate Alex Rins next season, while Yamaha is targeting 2025 to secure a satellite team.

A Yamaha rider since his 2019 MotoGP debut, Quartararo’s current contract expires at the end of next year.