Yamaha's unpredictable MotoGP season took a further twist at Assen with a clear split in the performance of its ꩵfour riders in qualifying and the race.

While the manufacturer celebrated pol🅺e position and victory courtesy of Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales respectively, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi were far from the fr✨ont.

The satellite Petro🐠nas team outpacing the factory squad - especially in practice and qualifying - is no longer a shock, but Assen was more curious in that one rider from each team, using different specs of machine, excelled.

Rookie Quartararo took back-to-back poles a꧂nd podiums on the lower spec M1, while Vinales took the factory spec machine to Yamaha's first victory of the season.

But that same bike was only ninth and 14th on the grid in the hands of Morbidelli and Rossi in qualifying. A♏nd while Rossi's early accident meant his race pace was unknown, countryman and training partner Morbidelli went on to finish over 14-seconds from Vinales.

"We have a similar riding style, so maybe yes," sa🙈id Morbi꧅delli, when asked about a link between his and Rossi's performances. "When he feels some problems, I feel them too. But I hope that we’re both going to be fast in the next races."

While Morbidelli, competing in his second MotoGP season, was expected to l𒉰ead the new Petronas Yamaha project - emphasized by a factory-spec bike - it is Quartararo who has stolen tꦏhe limelight.

"We just are focusing on ourselves and trying to do our best. I know that watching Fabio it seems very eaꦉsy and natural. But on our side we struggle a bit more for some reasons," Morbidelli sai꧅d.

"We focused basically on ourselves and tried to improve ♋our package, ride at the maximum and finally we managed to get through the weekend quite well."

Indeed, unlike earlier rounds where he had been fast in qualifying but faded in the race, the Italian's Assen weekend ended on a high as he snatꦜ🌸ched fifth from Ducati's Danilo Petrucci at the final chicane, matching his best MotoGP finish.

"It was a really nice race. Maybe not my be🏅st, but w🐽hen you are fast at the end of the race it’s always better," he said.

"I’m very happy because the weekend didn’t start well. I was 17th, 14th, far behind. But we🐷 managed to stay calm and do a good job.

"I was missing some stಞability. We managed to increase that and we managed also to increase t𒐪he grip.

"Maybe it wasn’t enough with new tyres, I don’t kn꧟ow why. Maybe my riding style or something else. But with used tyres, yes.🍬 Especially in the last ten laps of the race I was feeling very comfortable, fast and able to catch up a lot.

"So it was 🌼the opposite o൩f previous races, where we were fast in practice but a bit far back in the race.

"I don’t know what to expect from the Sachsenring this weekend because I didn’t ride last year, but I’m re🌊ally looking forward to going there and starting the job from where we finished th💃is weekend."

Morbidelli is twelfth in the world champio⛎nship, six places behind Quartararo.