Quartararo ‘told not to expect big change’ from Yamaha’s Valencia MotoGP test engine

Yamaha rolled out the first 2024 prototype engine at the Misano test in September, though it was met with a lack of enthusiasm from 2021 world champion Quartararo.

He said at the time he expected much more than was offered, especially in terms of power, while the team contradicted this and noted that the test went as planned.

Yamaha’s 2024 motor is being developed by ex-Formula 1 engine chief Luca Marmorini, who was present at the Misano test.

The Japanese marque said last month that it has two more engines in the pipeline ahead of the 2024 season, though Quartararo was told not to expect much from the version he will try in Valencia.

“At the moment, I have not talked to them yet,” he said when asked about what he was hoping to see from the engine at the Valencia test on Thursday, ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“They told me not to expect a big change for Valencia.

“But normally the big step will be here [Sepang] in February. So, Valencia I don’t know what to expect and if we will have something new.”

Quartararo currently sits ninth in the MotoGP standings coming into the start of the final triple-header of the season.

He was fifth in the Thailand GP two weeks ago, while two weeks prior to that he was third in the Indonesian GP.

The Frenchman, who was third in last year’s Malaysian GP, says repeating his Thailand form “would be great” for him when asked about his expectations for the coming weekend.

“Expecting, I don’t know, but at least to try to be in the top 10 on Friday,” he said. “This is the main goal by far. And then more or less the pace is always good.

“So, this will be my main goal, to try to be on the Q2 from Friday. For me, a race like Thailand would be great, top six, seven, on this kind of track would be great.”