It was an unlucky Grand Prix at Jerez, held on 28, 29 and 30 April, for the two riders of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. From a difficult Friday to the races on Saturday and Sunday, which were affected by two penalties for two contacts that occurred during the races.
Practice for the first European Grand Prix got off to an uphill start for the two Iwata factory riders, but they didn't give up and worked hard to find the right balance in order to solve the problems that kept them away from the top.
On Saturday Quartararo and Morbidelli gambled for access to Q2 in the first qualifying session to which all riders from tenth place down in the combined FP1 and FP2 standings have access. Unfortunately both the Italian-Brazilian and the Frenchman were unable to gain passage to the session, finishing 14th and 16th respectively.
In the Sprint Race, a new entry this year, Morbidelli got off to a good start but made contact with A. Marquez on the Gresini Racing Team Ducati, causing both to crash and Bezzecchi to get involved. Race direction decided to stop the race with a red flag and let the riders restart from the grid for the remaining 11 laps. At the restart both Yamaha riders were stuck in traffic without the chance to express their true race pace, finishing 12th with Fabio Quartararo and 16th with Franco Morbidelli.
On Sunday in the classic race Quartararo starts well and gains a good position, but is then involved in a collision with Oliveira on an Aprilia at Turn 2 in which he ends up on the ground. In this one, too, a red flag is given and the race is stopped. The 2021 World Champion rushes back to the box to change his suit and restart. Because of what happened on the track, the judges decide to give him a long lap penalty, which he will have to repeat a second time because the first time he touched the white line before re-entering the track. The race was compromised, but Fabio managed to make a comeback, finishing the race in 10th position and showing a solid and competitive pace. Morbidelli instead finished 11th, bringing home 5 points.
During the long Andalusian weekend it was announced by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team that Valentino Rossi, also present as a guest, will take on the role of Brand Ambassador for Yamaha Motor CO., LTD. The Italian rider, already a MotoGP legend, after wearing the rider's shoes for no less than 14 years is now ready to become a brand ambassador for the brand with which he has won seven world titles in the premier class.
The action on track did not stop on Sunday, as yesterday the team carried out a day of testing to try out new solutions and get closer to the top. The riders tested the new exhaust, a new chassis and many aerodynamic solutions with Quartararo completing 88 laps finishing 3rd in 1.36.725 while Morbidelli finished 16th in 1.37.543.