Fabio Quartarato deems Japanese MotoGP Qualifying performance as ‘super slow’, finishes 15th in the sprint
Fabio Quartararo shares his concerns following an abysmal performance at Motegi as Yamaha’s woes continue.
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Fabio Quartararo (via Imago)
The 2023 Japanese GP race weekend is important for Yamaha and Honda with it being their home race. With Fabio Quartararo trying his best to get a decent result for the team, all his efforts seem to be in vain as the pace is just not enough to compete with European manufacturers. It has been a tough few years for the Japanese manufacturer following their title win in 2021.
Coming into the Motegi race weekend, Fabio Quartararo went on to qualify 14th but finished one place down in 15th. He was the highest-placed Yamaha rider which furthermore brought out more concerns. His Yamaha teammate, Franco Morbidelli finished behind him in 16th. Yamaha also had their wildcard, Cal Crutchlow competing this weekend but even he finished down the order in 18th.
In an interview, Fabio Quartararo shared his disappointment regarding the situation. “Unfortunately we were super-slow. The bike is the same as three years ago; we change things but we never make a step forward,” he stated. “We tried everything possible on the bike and there is no way we can really find a big step. It’s missing so much that we cannot focus on only one thing,” he said.
Yamaha’s Top speed still puts them at a major disadvantage compared to their rivals
It has been observed that Yamaha’s Achilles heel is quite possibly their top speed on the straights. Other manufacturers, such as Ducati and KTM have been able to easily pass the Yamahas on straights putting them at a disadvantage. Despite those issues, Fabio Quartararo was able to finish third at the inaugural Indian GP. However, there doesn’t seem to be any luck for the French rider for Yamaha’s home race.
After earning yet another pole position, Jorge Martin was coming in strong for the sprint race and he was successful in doing so. The Pramac Ducati rider went on to win the sprint and furthermore decreased his gap to championship leader Pecco Bagnaia. It will be interesting to see what happens during Sunday’s race as it might be crucial amidst a gruelling title fight between the top 3.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)