Fabio Quartararo has rolled back on recent comments that suggested Yamaha has just ‘one chance’ to deliver with its 2024 bike at next month’s Misano MotoGP test.
“I was a little bit aggressive, maybe too much, with what I said,” commented the Frenchman, at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday.
The 2021 MotoGP world champion, who also fought Francesco Bagnaia for last year’s title until the final round, arrives in Austria just eleventh in the current standings, with one Sunday podium.
“I think the first part of the season, I was thinking a little bit too much about the position I wanted. Always trying to reach myself the win, the podium, the top five. And I was never happy with not reaching my goal,” Quartararo reflected.
But resetting his expectations, which Marc Marquez also has to do at Honda, has not been easy.
“It’s difficult because I came from fighting for the championship the last two years and now fighting for top 10s,” Quartararo admitted.
“The first 10 races, my head was furious, because I know my potential. I know what I can do. But we have some difficulties and to realise now that OK, we have to forget about this [top] positions, it hurts.
“But I think that right now we have to take the experience. We have to give our 100% whatever the position it is. And I think that Silverstone was already a small step forward, but I want to totally change my approach during the next 10 races.
“Because I think that giving our 100% is the most important, myself and the team, and the position that will come. If I feel we give our best, I will be happy with that.”
Quartararo described the change of approach as similar to his debut MotoGP season, at Petronas SRT, in 2019.
“I want to take it like if it was my first year in MotoGP. Giving my 100%, the team give their 100% and we will set the goals in terms of how was our pace and qualifying. And then we will be happy if we give our 100%,” he explained.
Then for the future my goal is to be back with Yamaha like two years ago, fighting for victories and podiums. I want that. Of course, the Misano test will be super important, but then it will be 5 months also from September until February [Sepang test].
“My personal goal is to be world champion again and of course if it’s with Yamaha I would prefer, because coming from a tough year like that would be great to bounce back.
“But if not I will have to find myself another solution. But like I said, I think working with Yamaha super hard and be back with them would be the best dream right now.”
In terms of what he needs from the bike, and why the Yamaha is sometimes slower than last season, the 24-year-old pinpointed grip and top speed.
“We are struggling so much in terms of when the grip is a little bit lower,” he said.
“Because first of all we need some drive to take the best acceleration as possible, but then also for our power if we exit slower we will arrive slower to the next corner.
“So the grip for us is important in two ways; in how we make the lap time, but also in terms of acceleration and top speed where we are a little bit more weak. So it’s both things that are difficult.”
Quartararo also needs a bike he can race head-to-head against the V4s with.
“I think in all the races I’ve won, I never won a battle in the last lap. I win by 1-2-3 or 5 seconds. So we have to have a bike also thinking sometimes your pace can be a little bit slower, but you have more chances to overtake,” he said.
“At the end, you can make pole position, or be fast in every single session, but when they give out points is in the race. So we have to make a bike fast also for the race.”
Quartararo also brushed off a question about being a potential target for Honda in 2025.
“It’s still long until ’25. I didn’t talk. We have a lot of work to do before having a talk with anyone,” he said.
Keyword: MotoGP Austria: Fabio Quartararo: “My head was furious, it hurts” but Yamaha comments were “too aggressive”