Alex Rins Compares Yamaha’s Current Turning Woes to 2017 Suzuki Challenges

Alex Rins observes similarities between Yamaha's present cornering challenges and those he experienced with the Suzuki GSX-RR back in 2017.

Alex Rins has disclosed that the turning challenges faced by the Yamaha M1 in this MotoGP season are reminiscent of issues he encountered with the 2017 Suzuki GSX-RR.

"Turning poses a significant challenge for us," Rins mentioned. "This rings a bell, as it was similar back in 2017 [with Suzuki]…

"Right from my second ride on the [Yamaha], I mentioned this issue to the team, and it seems they're actively addressing it."

Suzuki made a misstep in the development of its engine for Rins' debut 2017 MotoGP campaign, with team leader Davide Brivio later clarifying that the updated engine design suffered from excessive inertia during cornering.

In 2016, we identified that gaining grip while exiting turns was a challenge for us. Therefore, we engineered a more refined engine with features aimed at assisting the rider in overcoming this issue for the 2017 season.

"At first, it appeared beneficial… However, as the season progressed, it became evident that this engine was causing issues in different aspects, such as taking corners."

"Essentially, it negated the advantages. This posed an issue on certain circuits where decelerating and corner entry are crucial."

Based on his experience, Rins believes that while there's room for enhancement in the M1's electronics, the core problem with its turning capability lies in the engine.

"Rins mentioned at the Italian Grand Prix that the issues we're currently facing stem more from the engine rather than the electronics."

The positive development for Yamaha is that, in contrast to Suzuki's situation in 2017, they have the flexibility to modify their engine design throughout the season, thanks to the allowances provided in their concessions package.

"However, implementing a new engine mid-season presents significant challenges! It's quite simple to veer off course," cautioned Rins.

Until then, Rins along with his team-mate Fabio Quartararo are attempting to make up for the turning deficiency by focusing on adjustments in the electronics, bike configuration, and fairing design.

It was speculated that Yamaha had additional engine upgrades prepared for evaluation at Mugello on Monday, however, their intentions were scrapped because of the rainy weather.

The M1 pair is set to return to the circuit for an exclusive trial in Valencia during June 11-12, filling the gap left by the delay of the Kazakhstan event.

"Rins expressed disappointment over not being able to test in dry conditions due to the weather, mentioning they had new equipment ready for trials. He remained optimistic, however, about the upcoming opportunity to test these items in Valencia next week."

Quartararo mentioned, "There were numerous things on our list to evaluate, but ultimately, we weren't able to examine them here," He continued, "It's unfortunate that the conditions were rainy – the weather was not on our side – however, we're looking forward to a private testing session next week. We're hoping for better weather conditions in Valencia."

Honda, facing challenges with steering issues and having the opportunity to adjust its engine layout due to allowances, is believed to have decreased the inertia for the 'unique engine setup' provided to the Repsol team in Barcelona.

Improved cornering slightly enhanced performance, yet it led to increased issues with grip, mirroring the challenges Suzuki faced during the 2016-2017 period.

Joan Mir decided to revert to the original Honda engines for the Mugello race. Meanwhile, Luca Marini chose to continue using the updated engine setup, convinced that it represented a positive initial move forward.

Mir has indicated that Honda is aiming to unveil a completely new engine by July.

The Assen Dutch TT is scheduled for the end of the current month.

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