Reigning champion Quartararo arrives at round five sitting fifth in the MotoGP world championship, with just one podium to his name, but that’s still ten places ahead of team-mate and next best M1 rider Franco Morbidelli.
“I like sitting on the IRTA deck in the paddock at this time of year, watching rider managers scurrying around between the trucks. Most managers look after multiple riders so it’s like a jigsaw trying to fit them all into place,” said former grand prix rider and British champion Huewen.
“Quartararo is still in the driving seat [for the remaining 2023 places] as far as I’m concerned. Just look at what he’s doing with that Yamaha and what everybody else isn’t doing with that Yamaha.
“So in that sense, it doesn’t matter whether he’s going to leave Yamaha or not, because he’s still in the driving seat for the remaining places.
“We talked about this during the pre-season, about what Yamaha are they bringing to the table [with the 2022 M1] and it appears nothing.
“I’d be spitting tacks if I was Quartararo and his management. He’s riding really, really well. Everybody else’s bikes have moved on, but not the Yamaha.
“Just look at what the other Yamaha riders are doing. Dovi will only ride really on the edge if he’s not pushing his luck on a motorcycle that’s not capable of doing what he wants.
“That’s what I think is going on there. It’s either that or he’s become a little too old and complacent, which I don’t believe. I think Dovi is a superb rider still, if he has the opportunity.
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“What on earth has happened to Morbidelli? Is he still carrying the [knee] injury I wonder? He’s a bit like Dovi, more of a thinker, and those types of riders won’t push the envelope until they’ve got what they need to do the business, at least as a podium runner. Whereas Quartararo is prepared to put it on the line a bit more.
“Yamaha are in big trouble this year and bigger trouble moving forward for next year in terms of contracts. Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is an absolute grand prix star in the making, will he go to Yamaha? I wouldn’t have said so. Not the way things are at the moment. Why would you?”
Huewen, Crash.net MotoGP editor Pete McLaren and podcast host Harry Benjamin, also discuss the fortunes of the 2022 rookies to date, pick their biggest surprise of the season so far and make their podium predictions for Portimao this weekend.
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