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Yamaha, a former dominant force in MotoGP, is currently facing challenges in the premier class. Yamaha Motor Racing’s Managing Director, Lin Jarvis, is tasked with improving the team’s performance. In a recent interview, Jarvis revealed Yamaha’s reasoning for choosing Alex Rins over Franco Morbidelli for the 2024 season and shed light on the challenges faced by Japanese manufacturers in MotoGP.

One of Yamaha’s ambitions is to field a satellite team, but they have been unable to reach an agreement with RNF, resulting in this being their first season without a satellite team. Yamaha recognizes that Ducati has an advantage with eight motorcycles on the grid, providing them with valuable information for upgrades. Consequently, Yamaha is focused on improving their package to regain competitiveness.

Yamaha is eyeing Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team. Their existing contractual agreement as a satellite team for Ducati will continue into the next year, but Yamaha is keen to entice them to join their ranks for the 2025 season. Gaining the trust of a satellite team is crucial to Yamaha’s success, and it is a priority for the Japanese manufacturer.

Yamaha’s main objective is to enhance performance in order to attract a satellite team in the future. Currently, Yamaha is the only manufacturer with just two motorcycles competing, while Ducati and KTM have a greater presence on the grid.

For the 2023 season, Yamaha has prioritized increasing the top speed of their M1 motorcycle to address its weakness compared to Ducati. However, their early confidence was unfounded as the new season started, and Yamaha’s overall performance was negatively impacted. The M1’s inability to reach its advertised top speed affected its unique agility and competitive edge.

In the current standings, Yamaha riders Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli are in 11th and 12th place, respectively. Yamaha’s point totals at Silverstone were below average, placing them last in the constructors’ standings, trailing behind Ducati and Honda.

The challenges faced by Yamaha and Honda have sparked discussions about potential concessions to support the struggling Japanese manufacturers. Yamaha is determined to overcome these obstacles and make a comeback in MotoGP.

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