Yamaha seems to have finally taken their YZR-M1 MotoGP racer to the next level – that is, the Honda level. At last weekend’s Catalunya GP, Yamaha took three of the top four positions, with a win by Rossi, and Melandri and Checa in 3rd and 4th, respectively.
Whether it was Rossi and his crew chief Jeremy Burgess that drove the new devolpments from Yamaha, we don’t know. But what the results clearly show is that the Yamaha has taken a giant step forward in overall racing competence. With its massive front straight, Catalunya is somewhat of a “horsepower track”. Last year, Ducati and Honda fought for the win at Catalunya, with Ducati ultimately prevailing. Everyone knew that Rossi could fight for the win this year based on sheer riding talent, but for Melandri and Checa to come home ahead of most of the Honda stars is telling, and shows that the YZR-M1 is now a serious threat to HRC’s domination.
