For the twelfth stage of the world championship, Fabio Quartararo started in 17th position. In Barcelona, the problems resurfaced for Yamaha.
Times are tough for Fabio Quartararo. Once again qualified outside the top 10, the Niçois embarked on a challenging weekend. Having made a mediocre start, the 2020 world champion remained stuck at the back of the pack to finish 18th. “I expected us to be better today, but this morning (yesterday), it immediately wasn’t the case. We struggled a lot. With my riding, it’s difficult when there’s little grip. I need to be a bit smoother,” said “El Diablo” at the finish line of the sprint race on Canal+.
“It’s really difficult. We have no feeling with the bike, that’s the problem. Normally, there’s a point where I’m really struggling on a track, but this time, I don’t even know where to start: we’re struggling with braking, we’re struggling with acceleration, we’re struggling with cornering. It’s hard to give the team feedback. We won’t say we’re lost, but we’re almost there.”
Quartararo Emerges from Chaos at the Start
On a track he likes, having won last year, Fabio Quartararo didn’t have much more hope for this long race. By escaping the chaos of the start, the Azuréen did well. The red flag was raised to evacuate the world championship leader, who was the victim of a major accident.
During the second start, “El Diablo” made a stellar start on the inside. He rounded the first three corners in 10th position, helped significantly by the damage sustained by many of the bikes placed ahead of him during the first start.
Nevertheless, the Yamaha rider found himself well-placed again, as he had been at Silverstone and in Austria. Another positive point was the pace shown by the Yamaha set up with last year’s specifications. With tire degradation management being key, the Niçois managed well. More than that, he took advantage of it to overtake Marc Marquez and then two other riders to secure 7th place.
Some good points to collect, therefore, and partially regained confidence ahead of the next weekend in San Marino. See you on Sunday, September 10.
