Lin Jarvis, at Yamaha, talks about his young champion Fabio Quartararo and recalls the times of Valentino Rossi.
After the era of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha hopes to continue the winning era with Fabio Quartararo. Destiny is in the hands of the Japanese manufacturer, because the rider from Nice has shown that he has the makings of a champion, but he has been asking for improvements to the engine of his YZR-M1 for a long time. The power gap from Ducati and the other manufacturers is too wide, a flaw that the engineering department must fill before the start of the new World Championship.
The CEO by Yamaha Racing Lin Jarvis he has no doubts that Fabio Quartararo is an ‘extraordinary and exceptional’ MotoGP talent. In the 2022 season, despite a bike with several problems, he won three races and kept the race for the world title alive until the last race in Valencia and finishing in 2nd place. For comparison, the second best Yamaha rider in the final standings was Franco Morbidelli in 19th place. A difference in performance between brand mates not seen since Valentino Rossiwhose place he took over in the factory team in 2020.
The eras of Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo
Lin Jarvis followed the Doctor’s entire career at Yamaha, convincing him to leave Honda to try his luck with the M1. Together they have won four MotoGP titles, but making a comparison between Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo is almost impossible: “I remember that in the past there were the so-called four aliens [Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo e Pedrosa] on a different level from the others, they won everything, now it is no longer the case“.
The level of competition has risen beyond belief, there are at least a dozen potential winners, partly due to the changes to the regulations made in recent years. See the single tire and ECU supplier (Magneti Marelli). A general leveling that makes Quartararo’s talent even more evident. “He’s a guy who has something special“, continued Lin Jarvis to Crash.net. “Some people have it and some don’t. For me, Casey was one of those“.
But Fabio must also be given credit for having created a close-knit group around him, not only on the track but also off it. An element that is not of secondary importance, as Valentino Rossi taught: “Some riders have the ability to form a group around them, work together as a team, and make things happen. Rossi is a great example of this, and Marquez too. If you look at Marc’s group within HRC, they are very close and very united“.
