MotoGP Announces Huge Concession System Overhaul For 2024
After a dominant season for Ducati, MotoGP wants to bring the field closer together and announces a huge concession system…
Pramac Racing wrapped up its first MotoGP post-season test as Yamaha’s new satellite team at Barcelona. The test marked the beginning of a new era for the team as they shifted from Ducati machinery and laid the groundwork for what promises to be a great MotoGP partnership with Yamaha.
On his first day of running for Pramac Yamaha, Miguel Oliveira praised Yamaha’s commitment to providing equal equipment for all four of its riders in 2025. “We’re seeing a huge effort from [Yamaha] to equalise material between every bike, for the first time in [their] history, and that’s definitely the way to go,” the Portuguese remarked.
“It’s the only way if you want to catch up to your competitors.” The collaboration is Oliveira’s first experience working with a Japanese manufacturer, and he acknowledged the rather unique approach Yamaha takes in processing rider feedback.
“You need to say things very directly, and then they double-check with you to be sure what you said is what you actually mean. That’s good because, apart from the data, the only thing they have to process is our comments.”
After his initial laps aboard the Yamaha M1, Oliveira noted significant differences compared to his previous bikes. “It was very, very different from what I was used to for sure. Especially in the braking phase, it’s super different,” he explained.
“The bike gives you good feedback to tell you where the wheels are, and that’s super important. We’re not looking for really comfort or having a bike that is friendly to the rider, but a bike that is fast. And I think we’re going to get an opportunity to work on that for sure.”
With Yamaha remaining in concession rank D until at least mid-season 2025, Oliveira, as well as his new teammate Jack Miller, will be eligible to test the M1 during private tests.
The Portuguese looks forward to the extra work in the upcoming season: “I’m ready. I’m ready to make some laps and to test things. I knew what I was getting into, and it’s a pleasure that we can give this contribution and make steps forward in that way.”
The switch to Yamaha machinery marks the end of a 20-year-long era for Pramac Racing. Team Manager Ginio Borsoi looks forward to working together with Yamaha and hopes to bring over some of Ducati’s and the team’s working mentality to their new MotoGP partner.
“We want to keep the same system, we want to keep our mentality as we were with Ducati,” Borsoi said, emphasizing that the approach should benefit Yamaha. “We need time, of course. We have a lot of ideas to put in place and a lot of experience to give to Yamaha.”
“The winter will be the right moment to put it all in place. Let’s see if we are able to start already in a good way in Malaysia [next year]. But as everybody knows, we need more than a few months.”
