Towards the end of the 2020 MotoGP, the world was shocked by the punishment for the entire Yamaha team. Both as a constructor and as a Team – Petronas Yamaha SRT (satellite) and Monster Energy Yamaha (manufacturer) received the penalty.
In one of the early episodes of the race in Jerez, it was informed that Yamaha was on the verge of an engine problem crisis. According to MotoGP regulations, each participant has an allotment of 5 engines for the entire 2020 season. At that time due to various incidents, the ration for the 5 machines had almost run out even though the racing season was only at the beginning. In fact, the issue just disappeared in the following races.
When the official news came out that Yamaha had been sentenced, the language used is Yamaha disrespect the agreed regulations. Yamaha secretly (not reporting) engine changes made in order to overcome existing technical problems.
The form of punishment is a significant reduction in value. Yamaha as a constructor deducted 50 points (making the team thrown into third position behind Suzuki by a difference of 5 points).
Meanwhile, in the Team ranking, Petronas Yamaha SRT stepped down to second place behind the Suzuki Ecstar by 44 points. Even the manufacturer, Monster Energy Yamaha, was thrown almost in a distended position (5 out of 6 teams). With the large value of the punishment, it can be concluded that this is a serious violation.
However, there are still many voices who think the punishment is still lacking. One of them is Marc Marquez. He tweeted sarcastically that Yamaha riders should also be subject to a deduction, because they can get points for victory based on cheating rides.
This problem could become a material for serious rumors if Yamaha racers win the last 3 games, with the aim of discrediting the meaning of victory. It is because the last 3 races are very crucial in determining who has the right to win the 2020 MotoGP Champion.
Moreover, currently 3 Yamaha riders are ranked 2nd (Fabio Quartararo), 3rd (Maverick Vinales) and 4 (Franky Morbideli) with only 25 points difference from the leader of the class, Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar).
According to some observers, the Yamaha prototype motorbike had the advantage of being quite fierce and capable of fast cornering. However, in reality, Yamaha’s cornering speed often loses to Suzuki. Even Fabio and Morbideli are often frightened by Joan Mir or Alex Rins in Sunday races, even though they often excel on Saturdays (qualification). For example, just look at Joan Mir at the same time overtaking 2 Yamaha motorbikes around the corner at the Aragon circuit.
In the next 2 races that will be carried out on the same circuit (Ricardo Tormo, Valencia), there are 9 turns to the left and 5 turns to the right. Some of the bends that will be the center of attention include corners no. 4-5, 8 and 11. There, Joan Mir, Alex Rins or others are expected to do a lot.
It is difficult to predict the results of the 3 remaining races. Are Joan Mir and Alex Rins still able to reach the podium? Are discordant voices wanting Yamaha riders’ points to be deducted will be accomodated? Whatever the answer, the benefit is on Dorna as it can present a session that is always intriguing and eagerly awaited and not boring.
