MotoGP | Quartararo: “I haven’t had this much fun on the M1 in a long time!”

The result of the kilometres accumulated recently at Misano or is Yamaha finally making progress? That is the question after Fabio Quartararo rode in the top 10 during free practice for the San Marino Grand Prix. The top fourteen of the standings are covered by a second and the 2021 world champion has placed ninth to secure a direct Q2.

Quartararo and the Yamaha Factory team have completed a lot of laps in the Misano test sessions, taking full advantage of the concessions they have to improve on top of the 20-round test schedule in 2024. The Nice native is struggling to find grip this year, even though Yamaha has changed the character of the M1 and its inline-four engine, homologating a new engine, chassis and revised aerodynamics package to get closer to its European rivals. The brand has also brought in more staff, hiring technicians from rival manufacturers and increasing the pace of development for both Quartararo and Alex Rins.

El Diablo remained six tenths behind leader Pecco Bagnaia in the Friday afternoon session. Encouraging signs, considering that these improvements on the race bike are providing a higher potential for race pace. In Aragon, Quartararo did not appreciate the one-lap simulation in the Misano test, but, even if he and the team completed the work on the Friday of the Grand Prix, he was cautious about Saturday’s Q2: “In the test it was terrible and now it’s better, but it’s still not normal that with eleven laps we are only three tenths better for the time attack. If we look at the others, they improve by almost a second, we still lack that.”

“There was no room for improvement today and I was on the limit everywhere,” he said, adding that “at least I think it was good to qualify straight into Q2. It’s been a long time since I had as much fun on the bike as today. We did some good laps in terms of pace, one or two tenths can change the weekend.” Much depends on where the Frenchman qualifies on Saturday and where he starts on the grid for the 13-lap sprint and 27-lap long race on Sunday on a track that offers plenty of grip. Initial impressions at Misano were brilliant for Quartararo, who hasn’t been on the podium since the 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix and hasn’t won since the 2022 German Grand Prix.

“We know that Japanese engineers like to make small changes slowly, but even so I could feel a big step,” he said. The Devil on Friday’s free practice at Misano. “I like it because we are making steps forward more quickly and that’s what we need. Already from the first month with Max (Bartolini, the new Yamaha Technical Director, ed.) in the team there was a different mentality and the way of working has changed, even if there have been no improvements on the track. We have tried many things, now we are starting to find a way with the engine, with the chassis. For my part, I expect to finish the season better than how I started it. I’m not saying I’ll fight for decidedly better positions, but at least I think I’ve reduced the gap from the top five a little”.