Quartararo Pessimistic Ahead of British GP Main Race

Fabio Quartararo endured a frustrating outing at the Silverstone Circuit, where his promising performance in qualifying didn’t carry over into the British Grand Prix sprint race. After starting from pole, the 2021 MotoGP world champion slipped to seventh place, leaving him visibly disappointed.

The root of the problem lay in Yamaha’s speed deficit. While Quartararo’s M1 could only manage a top speed of 324.3 km/h, rival Ducati machines easily exceeded 334 km/h. This speed gap was exposed when Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez overtook him effortlessly on the straights.

“I’m not stupid, I know how to ride — but when they overtake me in this situation, it’s frustrating,” Quartararo vented post-race.

Tire Grip Issues Add to Quartararo’s Woes

Speed wasn’t Quartararo’s only concern. The Yamaha M1 also appears to struggle with tire grip consistency—especially during transitions from qualifying to race conditions. According to the Frenchman, this drop in performance is something Yamaha hasn’t been able to overcome.

Track surface conditions are expected to worsen after the Moto2 race, compounding the challenge for Sunday’s main race. Starting on medium rear tires may further limit grip, leaving Quartararo doubtful about his chances.

“Being honest with you, we cannot really be optimistic for tomorrow,” he said.
“After a Moto2 race, starting with the medium rear tire, everything will be with less grip.”

Yamaha Under Pressure as Rivals Pull Ahead

The issues faced by Quartararo reflect broader struggles within Yamaha’s MotoGP program. With Ducati and Aprilia consistently outperforming on straight-line speed and tire management, pressure continues to mount on Yamaha engineers to close the gap.

The British GP has highlighted how far Yamaha still needs to go to return to the front of the grid.