Yamaha unveils the new “battle” version of the M1 liveries. Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo in the assault on the MotoGP title.
The waltz of the presentations of the MotoGP 2023 teams begins, Yamaha kicks off by unveiling the liveries of the 2023 YZR-M1s which will be entrusted to Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. The main graphic modification of the bikes presented in Jakarta was the addition of a new camouflage effect, a battle version to try to assault the world title, after losing it last year.
The managing director of Yamaha Racing, Lin Jarvis, explained that the camouflage is intended to give an “aggressive” touch to the new prototypes, waiting to see what will be hidden under the fairings during the upcoming winter tests in Malaysia and Portugal. For some time, the index finger has been placed on the 4-cylinder in-line engine and the Yamaha M1s will be the only bikes on the grid that from this year will adopt this configuration, compared to KTM, Ducati, Aprilia and Honda which will mount the 90° V4. The engineers’ main objective is to optimize top speed and acceleration without disrupting other areas.
The Yamaha M1 on the assault on the MotoGP World Championship
Renewed the multi-year agreement with Monster Energy, in its fifth year as title sponsor of the Iwata company. “I’ve always thought our bike was the nicest and cleanest in the racing world, but now you’ll notice that it’s a little more aggressive, a little younger,” said Jarvis during the presentation in Indonesia. “You can see some camouflage and that’s no accident.” The livery was designed by the well-known Italian designer Aldo Drudi. “The idea is to be aggressive: we will fight! We are going to war! We are going to challenge!”.
Fabio Quartararo is certainly among the favorites in the race for the world title, 2nd in the 2022 championship and 2021 champion. It was a rather difficult winter for the rider from Nice after suffering a minor hand injury while training with the motocross bike, but he will be 100% fit for the first Portimao GP scheduled for March. The introduction of sprint racing prompts a new racing approach: “Mentally and physically it will be on a different level than last year”. He confirms maximum confidence in Yamaha and in the work they are doing in the factory: “We are proceeding step by step. But I think I’m ready: Yamaha and the team are working very hard.”
Great expectations also for Franco Morbidelli after the disappointing 2022 season in which he collected only two top-10s, in the wet in Indonesia and in the last round in Valencia. “They say you learn more when you lose. In this regard, I learned a lot last year. I want to answer right away. As I have said several times, I discovered a new bike and had to adapt to a new package”.
