In an extremely delicate weekend at Mugello, Fabio Quartararo never rediscovered the sensations glimpsed in recent races. In difficulty from the start of practice, then withdrawn in qualifying, sprint and race, the Nice native leaves Tuscany frustrated, worried and lucid about the current limitations of his Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo’s Italian weekend quickly followed the pattern of his Friday practice sessions, already marked by a striking lack of confidence at the controls of the Yamaha. Entered in Q1, the Frenchman was never able to compete for a Q2 spot. Without grip, without feel on the front and without the ability to attack, he ended the session far from the front positions, condemned to start from 18th place on the grid.
The sole French representative in the absence of Johann Zarco admitted not being surprised by these difficulties. ‘El Diablo’ spoke of a weekend where “sensations are completely absent”, to the point of feeling “lost” on a circuit that forgives no mistakes. The contrast with the progress glimpsed since the Jerez test only heightened his frustration.
Sprint: a promising start, then hitting the ceiling
The sprint race offered no better perspective. Starting from the sixth row, Fabio Quartararo nevertheless gained several positions in the first few hundred meters, hinting at a slight recovery. But the improvement was short-lived. Very quickly, his pace stabilized, then stalled, unable to follow the riders around him.
At the finish, he could do no better than 14th place. The verdict was straightforward: “we gained a few positions at the start, yes, but that’s exactly the kind of sprint I expected given the weekend we’re having. So nothing more to say.” The Nice native stressed the complete absence of progress, recalling that “it’s no longer a question of adjustments” but of equipment, regretting that Yamaha cannot bring new parts at the necessary pace.
Already victim of a crash the day before, he confided that he wanted above all to “try not to hurt himself” during the Grand Prix, a sign of deep unease.
A Sunday to limit damage
Sunday only confirmed the trends from the day before. Starting 17th due to penalties, Fabio Quartararo briefly gained a few positions in the opening laps, before seeing his pace decline progressively. Overtaken by several rivals, including Toprak Razgatlioglu and Maverick Viñales, he finally crossed the line in 18th position, in a race where he mainly sought to avoid risks.
After the finish, he explained having deliberately reduced his effort in the final laps, judging it pointless to “give so much energy for a single point.” On a demanding circuit like Mugello, he preferred to secure the finish rather than push beyond his limits.
Most striking remains his overall assessment: “we can only have a negative view of this weekend. I tried to push a little bit in the middle of the race. I was so close to the limit that I decided to ease off a bit… because there’s no point in taking risks.” And especially this loaded phrase: “the motivation is no longer there.”
Growing frustration
The progress glimpsed at Jerez, then timidly confirmed at Le Mans and Barcelona, had given Yamaha some breathing room. The Côte d’Azur driver had finally regained some confidence on the front end, his main weakness since the start of the season. But at Mugello, this foundation evaporated from the first turns of the wheel, plunging the team back into confusion.
The Frenchman leaves Tuscany “very disappointed” and aware that the situation now goes beyond the scope of riding. Despite his willingness to “give [his] maximum,” the improvement of the bike no longer depends on him. The future, which he already hints at with a possible move to Honda, seems to weigh on his discourse.
Fabio Quartararo hopes to rediscover better sensations on other circuits, but admits leaving Italy “happy that the weekend is over,” so much has frustration dominated these three days. Next race weekend in Hungary next week. A circuit where the flaws of his machine should be partially masked.
