MotoGP rivals are saying something ‘really strongly’ about Yamaha after day one of the Sepang test

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Yamaha’s aggressive pursuit of performance seems to have paid off after starting the MotoGP pre-season test at Sepang in impressive style.

Fabio Quartararo topped the timesheets on day one, following up his impressive shakedown run with another positive day of running.

Yamaha finished fourth of the five manufacturers in last year’s standings and were disappointed with their results.

Gino Borsoi loves what Yamaha have done in 2025 after investing heavily in their operation ahead of the new season.

They’ve adopted Pramac as one of their satellite teams and it could bring major benefits with it, with extra feedback towards their bike.

While they won’t be expected to compete with Ducati or maybe even KTM, it’s a far more promising baseline for them to be working with than they had this time last year.

MotoGP paddock insiders feel ‘really strongly’ about Yamaha’s Sepang progress

Quartararo scored Yamaha’s best result of the season last year with a sixth place at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Teammate Alex Rins could only manage eighth in the same race, which was also his best finish.

Yamaha have been doing something pretty crazy behind the scenes, as they develop two bikes at once in a bid to improve their MotoGP fortunes.

Aside from their own operation, Lin Jarvis is in awe of Yamaha’s miraculous deal with Pramac which will see them run as an effective second factory team.

READ MORE: Yamaha have made 2025 MotoGP wildcard decision after Andrea Dovizioso’s Shakedown appearance

Speaking on MotoGP’s After the Flag show, Jack Appleyard said that paddock insiders feel strongly about the Japanese manufacturer’s improvements.

“From speaking to a couple of people from within the paddock that are working for different manufacturers, both of them really strongly said that they can see from the outside,” he said.

“It’s always different inside the belly of the beast, but Yamaha have a plan. It’s quite clear that they have a roadmap that they’re looking to try and tick off every little bit on the way.”

Alex Rins admits the one thing he ‘cannot’ do to match Fabio Quartararo

Rins and Quartararo both finished outside the top 10 of the riders’ championship by a comfortable 52-point margin in 2024.

They have been retained for this campaign, and have backed their riders to help lead the team back to contention for podiums and victories.

Rins admitted he ‘cannot’ use the same setup as Quartararo if he is behind the Frenchman during a race weekend. The settings do not gel well with his riding style.

READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo demanded that his colleague remove ‘number one sticker’ amid Yamaha frustration

With just two years before a new set of regulations, they have time to perfect their craft before making a run at another championship.

By now, it has been four years since they claimed their last title in 2021 and for the first time in that period, it looks like they are trending in the right direction again.