Fabio Quartararo: Discussion with Yamaha following a frustrating Aragon GP

In Aragon, Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo hit a low point in his racing career. In the MotoGP Sprint, the engine on his M1 went up in smoke on the fifth lap; in the Grand Prix, he crossed the finish line last, more than 51 seconds behind.

This weekend, the action continues at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Is it a good track to get back on track? “It’s a track I like. I have fond memories of it,” said Quartararo. “The grip is good here and tyre wear isn’t too bad. We’ll be trying to achieve the best possible result with our package.”

Isn’t engine power less of a deciding factor on this technical circuit? “No, it’s very important here too,” clarified the Frenchman. “The start-finish straight isn’t that long, but then there’s the back straight and the one in the middle, where we’re also riding in sixth gear. So power is very important there.”

Quartararo: “It’s not about whether you have regrets or not”

After the disastrous Aragon GP, Quartararo lost his temper. He emphasised that he no longer wants to act as a test rider for Yamaha at race weekends. Yamaha management hit back – for example, team manager Massimo Meregalli said that Quartararo should follow the example of Jack Miller, who always gives his all and has a positive attitude. Does the 2021 world champion now regret his comments? “It’s not about whether you regret something or not. Out of frustration, we may have said things that weren’t right,” “El Diablo” had to admit. “We had a meeting together last week. We’ve sorted everything out.” Quartararo did not want to reveal what was discussed in the meeting.

Does Quartararo intend to find a way to cope better with frustration in future? “You never get used to difficult moments. If you can’t achieve what you want, it’s always frustrating. It doesn’t matter that we know our package isn’t currently at the level we’d like it to be,” Quartararo emphasised. “I’m competitive myself, and I want to fight. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t want to race anymore. That’s why I sometimes get too worked up and my frustration gets the better of me. I just need to say the right things at the right time.”

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Are the things Quartararo says his way of letting off steam? “Yes, but perhaps I need to let it out when I’m alone in the motorhome. When I’m talking to you lot, I have to express myself more politely,” smiled the 27-year-old.