A wild ride: Fabio Quartararo took his Yamaha M1 by the horns

After the relationship between Fabio Quartararo and his employer Yamaha had reached a new low at Aragon, a discussion took place to calm things down. The Frenchman backtracked at Misano, admitting that things had been said that were not correct. The aim now is to focus on the sporting side of things during their final Grand Prix races together and to end the partnership on as positive a note as possible – if that is still possible.

In Misano, Quartararo at least managed a tenth-place finish in Sunday’s main race. He also finished 10th in Friday’s MotoGP qualifying session in Spielberg – securing direct entry into Q2. With more engine power from the Yamaha, he could probably have achieved even more. “When you’re so far off the pace in terms of top speed, it’s difficult, but we have to take the positives from it because we made it into Q2. We gave it our all to be in the top 10,” was Quartararo’s conclusion.

Quartararo: “We have to ride like this to get into a good position”

It was clear to see that ‘El Diablo’ gave it his all on Friday at the Red Bull Ring. He squeezed every last drop out of his M1, and as Yamaha team manager Massimo Meregalli noted during the session, he was on the soft rear tyre right from the start of the one-hour qualifying session. “We have to ride in such a way as to get into a good position – especially under braking,” the 27-year-old made clear. “I set my fastest lap time under braking. There are a lot of hard braking zones here. And as for my final run: if I didn’t miss the braking point in the first corner, then it was in Turn 3. If not there, then it was in Turn 4. I didn’t manage a clean lap, but it was enough to get into Q2.”

Quartararo really put the Yamaha through its paces and took a lot of risks – that sounds like fun too. “I always give 100 per cent,” smiled the 2021 MotoGP World Champion. “Sometimes that results in 10th place, other times 15th. I mean, when I’m feeling good. It’s the same here as it is at Misano, and I realise I’m lacking a lot in terms of grip, corner entry and speed. The same goes for aerodynamics. But I’m giving it my all.” Why was he so good on the brakes on Friday? “That’s generally my strength – ever since I was a child.”

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19.09.2026 - 08:35