Метка: Fabio Quartararo

MotoGP stewards seem like they ‘have never raced bikes’

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Quartararo was unlucky to retire from Saturday’s sprint race at Mugello on lap two of 11 when Miguel Oliveira crashed his Trackhouse Aprilia in front of him at Turn 10 following a failed attempt to overtake the Frenchman, leaving the former with nowhere to go.

The 2021 champion went down with Oliveira into the right-hander and retired immediately, bringing a premature end to a Saturday in which he couldn’t convert his strong practice pace into a top 10 qualifying position.

Following his exit from the sprint, Quartararo went to the stewards to get their views on the incident, which was eventually dismissed as a racing incident, but returned feeling that MotoGP’s officials weren’t up to the task.

“I wanted to talk to them just to explain a little bit but I’m talking to [a] wall, to don’t say any word,” a frustrated Quartararo said.

“I go out more confused than when I come. But it’s not bad. You know it looks like I’m talking to someone that have never been racing, so this is sad and I think we have to get people more proficient.”

Quartararo explained that he didn’t want to persuade stewards to hand Oliveira a penalty, as he accepted the mistake made by the Portuguese rider. However, the 25-year-old hit out at what he feels are inconsistencies in stewarding and called for improvements in how on-track incidents are looked at going forward.

“I wanted to see the stewards not to get a penalty for Miguel, but just to realise that they are not doing a good job,” he said.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I’m not here to say he [Oliveira] have to make a long lap here [or] three-place grid penalty, but I have not seen any great move from them [stewards]. For me Miguel made a mistake, can happen, it happened to me, Aleix [Espargaro] didn’t crash and I get a long lap.

“But yes, for me the job they are doing is not great.”

Asked how the stewards responded, he revealed: “That [it] was a racing incident and when I did it, it was too optimistic overtake. So they play a little bit with the words.

“Like I said, I don’t want any penalty for Miguel. We just have to realise because if I’m playing for the championship and this happens to me and someone is not getting a penalty, it’s not the same.

“Right now it’s complicated, we have no data for the race, I was not scoring any points today anyway.

“But it’s just a question of improve how the system is working and we are not doing any step for that this weekend.”

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Quartararo can see light at end of tunnel after lack of Yamaha MotoGP progress

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Quartararo made that comment after jumping from 17th on the grid to finish ninth in Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix, securing his second top-10 finish of the season.

The Frenchman was racing with a new aero package in Barcelona, part of the larger suite of upgrades that Yamaha has been testing between grand prix weekends in a bid to overhaul its troubled M1 challenger.

The 2021 champion has previously been vocal about how the Japanese manufacturer has not been able to bring any meaningful developments to its bike in recent years after falling down the pecking order.

But the 25-year-old says the progress he has now seen in recent months has finally given him hope that Yamaha can turn the ship around and close the gap to the frontrunners.

«When you are doing the small steps, you want to have a bigger one as soon as possible,” he said.

“But to be honest, this one and a half year, we have been without making any progress and to feel that we are seeing the light coming out of the tunnel, it’s great.

«So hopefully we can make some good steps pretty soon.»

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Asked how the updates introduced in Barcelona helped his cause, he explained: “For me, it helps to turn, to go a little bit faster into the corners. It’s difficult to say if it’s a massive step or not because the aero is not something that you say, ‘wow, it’s much better’.

“This aero, you have to get used [to it] and in the future, it will be a really good step, and we are looking to make another step like this one. So hopefully we can do it.”

Yamaha and Honda are able to take advantage of a new concession system in 2024, which rewards them with unlimited testing with race riders during the season, plus greatly expands their scope of upgrades.

Quartararo says the extra track time allows Yamaha to try new parts on the M1 but also get fully accustomed to them.

Further, he feels the Iwata-based marque is not only bringing upgrades for the sake of them, as only those bits and pieces are put on the bike that offer meaningful improvements.

“For me [with] the aerodynamics you get used much more when you make more laps,” he said.

“I learn [about] the aerodynamics even more during the [whole] weekend that I use because I can understand where the strong points of this aero are, and in five laps you cannot really understand [that]. This is the benefit of having the concessions.

“After Mugello, we go to Valencia [for] two days of test. It’s really busy but it’s really worth it because Yamaha has never worked like that in the past, has never had that much idea[s].

“And we are not bringing things to bring. We clearly speak with the team that I don’t want to test another chassis or another swingarm. We tested 100s of them already.

«We know where the problem is coming [from], so now they are really focussed on that and they are working in a clever way.“

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France «first race this year that I feel competitive» in MotoGP

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Quartararo enjoyed one of his stronger weekends on the weak Yamaha package in 2024 in front of his home crowd at Le Mans, qualifying eighth and fighting inside the top eight in the grand prix.

The 2021 world champion was running sixth when he crashed out at Turn 9 on lap 17 of 27 but walked away from it still content with what he was able to do on the M1 last Sunday.

«To be honest, I’m happy,» he said. «I’m happy because it’s the first race this year that I feel I’m competitive and I’m fighting with riders I used to fight with in the past, like Aleix [Espargaro].

«I was seeing Maverick [Vinales] and Marc [Marquez] in front of me. Ten laps to the end, I crashed.

«So, I feel happy and unfortunately, we crashed, but being in this position in P6 without many crashes in front of me was the first time.

«So, I gave it everything and I wanted the maximum. Unfortunately, we crashed but we gave it our 100%.»

Yamaha tried a new set-up on Quartararo’s bike that, he said, it expected to offer him a completely different feeling.

However, he felt the changes made the bike only a little better but enough to have a positive impact and perhaps become his base setting going forward.

«We made a massive change on the bike [in warm-up] that the team expected for me to say ‘it’s completely different’ or ‘bad’ or something – they expected me to feel a big difference, but I felt a small difference in a better way,» he explained.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«So we raced with this bike. For me, it looks like it’s going to be our new base.

«And after [Monday] we will have two days of testing in Mugello, so we will have also the chance to compare in totally different tracks.

«But today I think I was riding really, really well and hopefully we can carry on.»

On the benefits of the new set-up, Quartararo added: «Little bit of grip, especially going in but slightly. But clearly, we got the ideas of what to improve, but it’s going to take time.

«The electronic [setting] we are using, or how we are using it, is not in a good way.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Marc Fleury

«But we are learning step by step. You can see from Turn 5 to Turn 6 that our bike is always moving a lot compared to the guys who were in front.

«Our bike is super heavy, it’s not turning. But step by step we are trying to improve these things and I think we are going in a good way.»

Quartararo, who sits 12th in the standings on 25 points after five rounds, says battling at the sharp end again was a mental boost – more so than his shock sprint podium at Jerez (which was then stripped from him for a tyre pressure infringement) as his French GP performance was genuine pace.

«For me, mentally, it was good,» he noted. «This is why, of course, I’m frustrated to not finish the race, but for me to battle with Aleix, to see that at the end the podium guys were in front, then Marc [Marquez] pulled away.

«But I was able to see them not too far and my pace was not too bad, because in Jerez, yes, we made a good sprint but half of them crashed in front of me and I did a really good start.

«But today was the first race where really we were able to fight.

«This, mentally, is good and step by step we are improving. It’s going to be a long way but we will arrive.»

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Quartararo at a loss to explain Le Mans MotoGP Friday pace

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For just the second time this season, Quartararo will make an appearance in the pole shootout qualifying session on Saturday after finishing Friday’s running at his home round in 10th.

While Yamaha brought a raft of changes to its bike for the Jerez test after the Spanish GP, only a few items – and not the swingarm he was hoping to run – have been brought to Le Mans.

But Quartararo – whose team-mate Alex Rins could only manage 14th — says this didn’t offer him many benefits on his run to a top 10 spot in practice on Friday.

«I don’t know,» the 2021 world champion said when asked how he managed that lap. «Pushing all we have, the window we have for the bike to be like that is really small.

«I think we made a great choice on the front tyre with the hard.

«And yeah, I was pushing absolutely to the limit. When I made the first time attack, I was already P8 I think.

«So, I had to push even more and I improved. It was on the limit, but more than being directly into Q2 is we are less than two tenths to third. So, this is positive.»

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Asked what improvements he could feel on the bike, he added: «Nothing. Unfortunately, nothing yet because we ride with the standard bike and we have to make a step, especially on the grip. But not only on traction but especially going in.»

A lack of rear grip has been a constant issue for the Yamaha this year and Quartararo says it’s important for the team to understand why the bike’s behaviour changes so radically with different levels of adhesion.

«The grip is our main issue because we clearly see from the medium tyre this morning it was a nightmare,» he added.

«Not for the bike, but for the tyres, and as soon as we have a little bit of grip our bike feels completely different.

«So, we have to understand why with more grip the bike completely changes because in the past you used to lose a little bit of performance but not as much as now.

«So, this is at the moment our main thing to improve, the grip and the bike to turn.»

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Yamaha’s turning woes led to arm pump for Quartararo in MotoGP Spanish GP

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The start to the 2024 campaign has so far proven difficult for Yamaha, though it still managed to snare 2021 world champion Quartararo to a new two-year deal beyond the end of this season.

At Jerez – a track Quartararo has won at twice in MotoGP – the Frenchman scored an unlikely third in the 12-lap sprint amidst a spate of crashes ahead of him, though was later penalised to fifth for having breached the minimum tyre pressure rule.

There were no such heroics in the grand prix, as Quartararo struggled from a career-worst 23rd on the grid to score a single point in 15th.

But his result was largely conditioned by the 2024 Yamaha’s weaknesses in turning, which led to him suffering from arm pump.

“From the beginning I made a good start but [in the sprint] was also the factor that I had a little bit of luck that everything was really good in front,” he said.

“I made a great start also [in the Grand prix], but I didn’t manage to gain positions.

“And we struggled from lap one with the rear grip, I struggled a lot to turn, I forced the bike a lot to turn on the brakes and for me, I had an issue with the arm.

“So, from mid-race to the end I had to slow down.

“When you are riding really tense, tight on the bike I was not great. So, the last 10 laps I was just cruising because the arm was not right.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Quartararo lost the 2021 Spanish GP to Jack Miller as an arm pump issue dropped him rapidly down the order. He later had this operated on.

Asked if was surprised to have suffered the issue again, Quartararo said no as the bike has caused it – albeit more mildly – at other races this season.

“No, was not a surprise,” he added.

“I mean, it happens many times this year but it was never really a limit.

“But when you feel good on the bike you don’t have it, and when you feel not alright you have it.

“Some races I had it, but not that much and not that early.

“But it’s part of our challenge, also today [Sunday] we tested the bike a little bit this morning which we thought was better. But it was a bit worse. This is what happened.”

Quartararo also noted that, with the Yamaha’s current problems with turning and rear grip, Jerez is a circuit that exacerbates the bike’s flaws.

“It’s always the matter [of improving the bike],” he said when asked if there was anything he could do about the arm pump.

“When you feel good, everything is perfect. When you are riding like you are forcing the bike a lot, like this is one of the tracks that is right now one of the worst for us because the turning is the weak point [along] with the grip, and on this track you need both.

“So, I expect Le Mans to be better because it’s more about braking and I will feel better on that track.”

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Quartararo felt «massive change» on new Yamaha M1’s first MotoGP test

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In its bid to arrest a steady decline in performance over the last few years, Yamaha had been working behind the scenes on an all-new version of its MotoGP contender, which was finally ready for its first test after Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Both 2021 champion Quartararo and new recruit Alex Rins got to put the new M1 through its paces at the Jerez test, finishing 18th and 14th respectively after clocking 157 laps between them.
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While the Frenchman wanted to reserve his full verdict until Yamaha had gotten a chance to properly analyse the data, he was clear that the changes the Japanese manufacturer has made had a big impact on the way the M1 feels on track.

“It’s the first time when we test something new it’s not slightly different. The new chassis we tried is really different,” he said.

“In the past, we used to test something different but [the changes were only] a little and now it was a massive change for me to feel what is on the bike. 

“It was a first step for us to see where the right way is, but we now have to make another test to see clearly and to have some ideas [on] what we do on the bike.”

He added: “[With the chassis], we are looking for turning [cornering] and we are trying to find it. 

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I found a slight improvement going in but not really on the turning, it’s really a small step.

“I have a little bit more feedback from the front, that is something that I was missing. But it’s not massive. This was a little bit better but we are missing a lot.”

Yamaha has completely overhauled the M1 after successfully persuading Quartararo to sign a fresh two-year deal, with the changes to the bike covering a wide variety of areas including chassis, aerodynamics and electronics.

Only the engine has not been changed so far, with Yamaha electing to continue with its test unit — which is built to the same specification as the race motor.

“We tested many, many things, we tested new chassis, new aero, new swingarm, new electronics especially,” he revealed. “The engine is a test engine, so it’s the same as [the race unit].

“It was difficult to take conclusions right now. Of course, now we will have to analyse well. Some positives, some things that are not working, unfortunately.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“But we will have more tests in Mugello after Le Mans, so these are things that we can modify and see what we can improve.”

Quartararo expects Yamaha to run some new parts in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans next month, as it continues to evaluate the package it debuted in the Jerez test.

“We will use a few items that we tested today because it’s always better to test in different tracks, and for Le Mans, we will use a few things that are not bad,» he said.

“It will be interesting to see in three different tracks what is my feeling, especially because Le Mans and Mugello are very different from here.”

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Quartararo stresses ‘quality over quantity’ with upcoming Yamaha MotoGP update

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The start to the 2024 MotoGP season has not been easy for Yamaha having scored just 19 points in the opening three rounds, with a best of eighth for Fabio Quartararo in the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Despite this, Yamaha has been able to snare Quartararo to a new two-year contract and has big updates planned for the coming races.

With tests lined up for after the Spanish and French GPs, 2021 world champion Quartararo admits the next month will be «busy» but is «quite optimistic» for the updates scheduled.

«It will be a busy test for us in Jerez,» he said. «Then after Le Mans, we have two days in Mugello.

«So, it’s going to be a busy month for us, but it’s the mindset for me right now. It’s not focused on the results but focused on trying to improve our bike.

«Of course, it’s difficult because I’m a winner and I want to finish the best as possible, but I think sometimes it’s great to make these kinds of things that we made this weekend.»

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Asked by Motorsport.com if Yamaha management had told him anything about the amount of updates it would be bringing, Quartararo added: «I think the amount is not the most important thing.

«It’s better the quality than the quantity. I think the quality of the aero that is coming, they are really optimistic because from 2019 till this year we were riding the same aero basically.

«This year is the first year we are racing with a different style of aero.

«So, basically, we are learning. From January we have made some big steps, but from January to April is just a few months and you cannot completely change your bike and mentality. But we are quite optimistic.»

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Despite finishing a lowly 12th in the Americas GP, Quartararo feels the weekend was positive overall as Yamaha has been able to confirm exactly what its main issues are.

«I mean, the direction we know what we need,» he said. «So, this is something really positive because it’s three races and three races where we missed exactly in the same areas.

«This weekend was great because we basically tried many, many things. Now we turned around all the settings on the bike.

«We need new items to really improve. It’s coming, it’s on the way, but I think right now the goal is on improving our bike and not focus on the results.»

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Marquez’s Honda exit «woke a lot of people up» at Yamaha

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Earlier this month, Quartararo inked a fresh multi-year deal with Yamaha, keeping him with the Iwata-based manufacturer until at least the end of the 2026 season.

The new contract was agreed despite an underwhelming start to the new campaign for Yamaha, leaving the 24-year-old to fight for lower reaches of the points in the opening three rounds of the season.

It also followed six-time champion Marquez’s call to leave Honda with a year left on his contract and join forces with the independent Gresini Ducati team in 2024, a decision that has already allowed him to fight for podiums and race wins.

But while Quartararo didn’t follow in the footsteps of Marquez and elected to keep his faith in Yamaha, he believes the Spaniard’s decision to split with Honda actually worked out in his favour.

He feels Marquez’s move to Gresini sprung Yamaha into action, as it showed that top riders in MotoGP are willing to trade loyalty for more competitive machinery.

«It’s a moment that a lot of people have been waiting for,» the 2021 champion told French broadcaster Canal+. «My choice was to stay with Yamaha, not by default, but for the project.

«I think that Marquez’s departure from Honda to Ducati woke up a lot of people at Yamaha.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«They’ve recruited a lot of new engineers, and a lot of things are happening in Italy rather than in Japan.

«The speed with which parts can be changed has totally changed. I think it was very interesting for me to continue with Yamaha.»

Some factions have questioned Quartararo’s choice to stay at Yamaha for 2025-26, amid its continued struggles in MotoGP over the last few seasons.

While the Japanese manufacturer has been overhauling its MotoGP programme by bringing in new people and changing its philosophy, while also taking advantage of the new concessions system, the jury is out on whether the work it is putting in will yield the desired results on track.

Quartararo admitted that he did consider moving to a different team earlier in the year, but his decision was swayed by the amount of resources Yamaha is dedicating to return to the sharp end of the field.

«Of course, I totally understand [that people have doubt about his choice] because even I, a few months ago, was really ready to take my departure for another team,» he said.

«I’m not going to say [which one] but of course, Yamaha is investing huge sums to get a better bike. I think it’s one of the only brands investing so much in this project.

«We’re already going to see some improvements this year. I think that this year will be very difficult, already to fight for a few podiums, but I think that this year will be very important for the next two.»

Watch: MotoGP: Vinales recovers from 11th to win | 2024 #AmericasGP



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Age a key factor in Quartararo’s new Yamaha MotoGP deal

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Five days before the start of the Americas GP, Yamaha announced the extension of Quartararo‘s contract until the end of 2026.

Quartararo justified his decision in Texas with the internal restructuring process that has been launched within the technical department of the Japanese team.

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The most important aspect of this is the incorporation of Massimo Bartolini, Gigi Dall’Igna’s right-hand man at Ducati, as technical director.

Before Quartararo’s renewal was made official, many compared the dilemma facing the rider to the one faced by Marquez last season, which eventually led him to leave Honda after 11 years and join the satellite Gresini team, where he competes on a Ducati that is not even the latest specification.

Although Quartararo took the opposing decision, 31-year-old Marquez understands the reasons that led the 24-year-old to give Yamaha another chance.

«I’m not surprised that Quartararo has stayed at Yamaha,» said Marquez in an interview with Motorsport.com in Austin. «First of all because Yamaha is Yamaha, and Honda is Honda. Sooner or later, they will get there.

«A lot of people have compared it to my situation, but Fabio has a lot more time than I had left.»

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Another element that leads the Spaniard to sympathise with his rival’s decision is the absence of trauma such as the one he experienced following the arm injury he sustained at Jerez in 2020, which led him to undergo surgery four times.

«He hasn’t gone through a period like I did, with a very serious injury that even led me to doubt myself. That is fundamental,» added Marquez, who finished on the podium in the sprint race on Saturday, and who crashed on Sunday while leading the main event.

Quartararo crossed the line 15th on Saturday and 12th on Sunday, further evidence that the Iwata-based constructor’s recovery will take a long time.

After the first three grands prix of the calendar, the 2021 world champion is 12th in the standings, with his best result so far being seventh in Portugal.

«When you are in a project in which you have been given a lot, and you are promised more, it is normal to have that patience and confidence that it will come,» continued Marquez, aware that, in such a competitive ecosystem as the MotoGP world championship, effort is not always rewarded.

«You have to have confidence and also luck because all the engineers work hard. The luck lies in [the technicians] finding the key that translates into a competitive bike,» Marquez added.

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