After the Italian Grand Prix, Yamaha MotoGP riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins said that their arms hurt and the bike was “very heavy”.
This season, Yamaha has made a number of adjustments to the M1 to make the bike more competitive at the front.
Quartararo praised Yamaha’s efforts to provide new parts for the bike in 2024, but he believes the additional components add weight to the bike when cornering.
While Quartararo believes this is a different issue than the one that affected his arm during the Mugello race, it is important to note that he has experienced arm pumps throughout his career.
Quartararo started the race from 15th position and finished in a disappointing 18th place.
After the race, Quartararo told Autosport, “I had a problem that prevented me from riding well, especially from the middle of the race.” This needs to be fixed because it’s not an arm pump.
We have to find a solution because my arm is clearly at its limit on a track like this.
The bike was very heavy because of the lost grip and the engine that forced us wide.
“Regaining the feeling we had in the past is our main priority right now, especially with the change of direction.”
As Quartararo had the same arm problem in Jerez, he feels Yamaha should be held responsible for this issue.
It is very challenging. “I have the same [problem] as before Jerez,” he said. “I’ve had the procedure twice. Everything seems to be OK.
However, the problem arose because there was basically nowhere for me to move [in my arm]. I’ve definitely reached the limit of what my muscles can do after mid-race, so I’m not sure what to do at the moment.
“I believe this is my best training to date.”
Modern MotoGP bikes, according to Quartararo, do not put a strain on the rider’s body: “No, because there was no problem the year before.
“I believe there was a mistake in the way we built the bike this year, because despite the progress, we felt the bike was too heavy at the beginning and had to make adjustments.
Therefore, we need to identify the main reasons why the bike is difficult to ride.
Rins qualified in tenth position, but a 15th-place finish meant he had to settle for the final points of the race.
The 28-year-old showed how physically demanding it was to ride the Japanese bike by revealing that he started to feel dizzy as soon as the bike finished.
He said, “I was struggling the whole race.” “At the start, I only lost two positions. Then, because our current bike is so difficult and critical, I was trying, lap after lap, to be there, handle the bike, and manage my physical condition.
I was also completely destroyed. I felt a bit dizzy, so they had to help me back to the garage. Everything is becoming more difficult and more physically demanding with the bike and our current challenges.
“To overcome the problems, you have to give more of yourself.”
