Quartararo Reveals Problem He “Never Had to Face Before”
Fabio Quartararo is confident in Yamaha's 2025 progress but faces an issue he "never had to face before" ahead of the Thai Grand Prix.
Fabio Quartararo’s frustrations with Yamaha’s lack of progress deepened at the Argentine Grand Prix, as the 2021 world champion endured another tough weekend on the struggling M1.
Hopes of meaningful improvement have faded early in the season, with Quartararo admitting that Yamaha’s step forward over the winter has not translated into race performance.
A collision with Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap only added to his woes, but even without it, the Frenchman was left battling just to salvage a 14th-place finish in what he later described as a “disaster.”
Quartararo had qualified seventh, showing flashes of speed in one-lap pace, but the Frenchman admitted there was little to celebrate from the weekend. “For me, there is nothing positive,” he said bluntly.
“Maybe the one-lap pace – qualifying was acceptable because we were only a tenth and a half off the front row. But in terms of race pace, it was really a catastrophe.”
Yamaha’s winter testing had initially raised hopes, with Quartararo finishing third in the Sepang tests, prompting some to label Yamaha a potential threat to Ducati.
However, the reality of race weekends has been far less promising. Although Practice Friday in Termas looked promising (see below), the M1’s persistent lack of grip and traction issues left Quartararo and teammate Alex Rins struggling to stay competitive.
Rins, who finished 11th, experimented with a soft rear tire against his team’s recommendations, hoping to at least enjoy the first laps of the race. However, the decision backfired as he faded late on.
“After Marini passed me, he pulled away by five seconds. That’s the reality right now,” Rins admitted. “The front of the bike is great, but we are really struggling with traction and corner grip.”
Quartararo, who currently sits 15th in the championship, has grown increasingly wary of setting expectations for upcoming rounds.
“Every time I expect something, the opposite happens,” he said. “So I prefer not to expect anything.”
“When you do five days on the same track, the grip level is super high, with a lot of rubber down,” he explained.
“Even at a one-day test following a race, we’re much closer to the front than during the actual GP. So imagine five full days of testing – it makes a huge difference.
But when the conditions aren’t perfect, or we overheat the tire even slightly, it’s really difficult.”
With the next round in Austin looming, Quartararo remains cautious. “Honestly, it’s hard to say what to expect. We’re struggling with grip, especially in slow corners.”
“I thought we’d have problems in Argentina, but not this many. Every time I expect something, it turns out the opposite, so I’d rather not expect anything.”
As Yamaha searches for solutions, Quartararo and Rins will have to continue grinding for results, hoping for incremental progress in a season that is already proving to be a tough battle.
