Fabio Quartararo, the once-dominant Yamaha rider, faced a brutal reality check during the MotoGP prequalifications at the Aragón Grand Prix. The former world champion found himself languishing in a dismal 20th place, his performance hampered by an alarming lack of grip on the edges of his M1’s tires—a setback that has left the racing world in shock.
From the very start of Friday’s sessions, it was clear that things were going downhill for Quartararo. “The morning was terrible for us, and the afternoon wasn’t any better,” he admitted in a candid post-session debrief. The new asphalt, which was expected to offer improved conditions, instead proved disastrous for Quartararo and his team. “We can’t lean properly or ride on the edge of the tire—we have no idea why. Compared to 2022, we’re missing 3 to 5 degrees of lean angle on this track. The feeling with the bike is completely incomprehensible. I don’t know what to expect from it: one lap isn’t so bad, the next is completely different.”
The frustration peaked when Quartararo declared, “I’ve never ridden a bike with so little grip.” His struggles were compounded by a crash at Turn 6, just past the halfway point of the session, forcing him to continue on his backup bike—one with different specifications from his primary machine. “We didn’t really want to use this bike because it had different specs. I had to adapt very quickly, and the feeling just wasn’t good today,” he explained.
With only a few sessions left before race day, Quartararo’s outlook remains bleak. “Everyone wants more grip to be faster. Right now, we have no grip. The traction isn’t terrible, but we’re really struggling with braking, especially at high speeds,” he confessed, clearly distressed by the situation.
This disastrous day at Aragón has left Quartararo grappling with countless unanswered questions and a deepening frustration as he desperately seeks solutions to regain his competitive edge. As the clock ticks down to race day, the pressure is on for Quartararo to turn things around before it’s too late.