Blow for Fabio Quartararo as new Yamaha engine breaks

Fabio Quartararo says the new engine on his Yamaha MotoGP bike encountered an issue in MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix practice and won’t be used for the rest of the weekend.

The 2021 world champion revealed on Thursday at Sepang that he would be running a new engine, though admitted that it didn’t last very long when he first tested it.

While feedback from team-mate Alex Rins in testing was that it was “clearly, clearly” better, Quartararo once again encountered trouble with the engine and has had to shelf it for the rest of the Malaysian GP.

“I could only make one and a half laps with the engine,” Quartararo, who was sixth at the end of practice, said.

“We had an issue with the engine, so we will not use it anymore.

“We tried the new engine, as you saw with the long exhaust, and we had an issue; we broke the engine.

“I don’t know if it’s broken or not, but at least it stopped on the straight and we could not fix it for this weekend.”

'Forgot it's easier to highside'

Team-mate Alex Rins did use the new engine all day and was eighth, marking the first time both Yamaha riders have made direct passage to Q2 since the Portuguese GP back in March.

Despite being forced to revert to the bike he used at Buriram last week, Quartararo was competitive all day at Sepang.

Sixth at the end of practice follows on from a strong time attack showing in Thailand, in which he qualified sixth, with Quartararo crediting his speed on a drastic electronics change Yamaha has made to his bike.

“So, to be honest, since Thailand, but really we are changing today the way of managing the electronics, which for me we are still with the old base but like usual, like Yamaha back in the day,” he explained.

“So, we are riding in a completely different style.

“Myself, it’s difficult to adapt because we changed a lot on the electronics and I still have to remember a few things because we are controlling the bike much less.

“So, if I forget it’s much easier to make a highside. I think I was riding in a good way today.”

He added: “We have been talking for a long time, but really never made the step because it’s quite big.

“But what do I have to lose? Maybe starting in Q1? I’m used to this from this year.

“But what I want is to prepare next year, I want to feel the best and try to see if we can manage to get the best as possible.”

This radical set-up shift with the electronics is something Quartararo says comes from technical director Max Bartolini’s input.

“Of course; the things come from him,” Quartararo said of Bartolini.

“I think I’ve spoken more to him this year than my mum. So, I’m a little bit tired of him already!

“No, I’m joking. But we talk a lot with Max and I think from my point of view I have to talk a lot and understand pretty well how it is going, especially on the side of where he was working in the past.

“I understand more things that in the beginning of the season he was telling me, but I was not really believing completely.

“And now I see step by step we are working in this way and I feel we have to improve. And we improved.

“But we need more time, and now I understand why it takes so much time to really make some steps.”