Yamaha Motor Racing MD Lin Jarvis is understandably delighted with the results his factory and satellite MotoGP teams are achieving.
With MotoGP rookie sensation Jorge Lorenzo joint leader of the World Championship, Valentino Rossi looking increasingly competitive on his Bridgestone tyres in third place in the standings and the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha team producing some solid results, Yamaha Motor Racing´s Managing Director Lin Jarvis is a happy man at present.
The Yamaha M1 prototype with its pneumatic valve engine is currently one of the best performing bikes on the MotoGP grid, and was put to great use by Fiat Yamaha rookie Lorenzo as he stormed to a maiden victory in Portugal having started on pole in the opening three rounds of his MotoGP career.
Lorenzo´s illustrious team-mate Rossi, meanwhile, also looked genuinely capable of taking victory at Estoril with only tyre wear in the second half of the race perhaps preventing him from putting an end to his current winless streak – and more valuable World Championship points scored, nonetheless, with his second podium finish in succession.
A fourth placed finish from Colin Edwards and seventh position for Yamaha´s other rookie James Toseland, at a new track to the Englishman - the Tech 3 pair making good use of their newly updated pneumatic valve engines - meant the final race classification on Sunday had a more than healthy look to it from a Yamaha perspective.
`It´s not the worst result we have ever had!´ joked Jarvis when he spoke to motogp.com. `It has been great, to have two factory riders on the podium, first and third, and the other two Yamahas in the top seven, means we are very, very happy.´
When asked to explain what he though had contributed to Yamaha´s success in Portugal in particular, Jarvis responded, `It has been a development from the whole winter. In the first two races we did very, very well. This weekend it was a further step in the progression. Some of our competitors like Casey (Stoner) had some difficulties.´
`Dani (Pedrosa) was very competitive as well though,´ continued Jarvis, `so it is really tight at the top of the championship. I think this weekend the conditions favoured Michelin a little bit when it was dry and I think Jorge did a phenomenal job. To have three pole positions and a victory in your first three races is pretty impressive. Compliments go to our engineers and our team staff and our riders.´
Reflecting on the excellent work going on in Herve Poncharal´s Tech 3 Yamaha pit-box at the start of the 2008 campaign, Jarvis commented, `With Tech 3 we have worked for many, many years, and last year we took decisions together with them to up the game.´
`We decided to make some changes with choice of tyre and choice of rider and with the choice of some things on the bike. It has all gelled together well, compliments to Herve and both of his riders. James is doing a great job too, after only three races in MotoGP, and Colin is doing what we expect him to do.´
Noting the quick adaptation of Edwards and Toseland to competing on their improved M1 bikes, Jarvis conluded, `We put in a big push because of their results early in the year and it´s paying off. The more Yamaha guys we can have competitive the better for us and so we´re very happy.´
TAGS
• Fiat Yamaha Team