The story repeats itself: Fabio Quartararo, once a formidable contender, finds himself locked out of Q2 once again. It’s become a grim routine for the Frenchman, who, instead of securing a solid position, is fighting tooth and nail in Q1 just to keep afloat. At the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, the Yamaha rider is staring down yet another uphill battle to salvage his weekend performance.
“Today was rough,” Quartararo admitted with a grim shake of his head. “We were pushing hard from the start, but we’re losing way too much grip on timed laps, which is holding us back. The pace was decent, but it’s not enough if we’re all-out and they’re barely trying.” The frustrations were evident as Fabio struggled with rear tire grip and overall performance, watching his competitors adjust with ease while he fought just to keep pace.
Hopes for a breakthrough were high, but reality came crashing down for Quartararo. “I didn’t expect to be so off the mark in one-lap speed,” he confessed. “We’ve got serious grip issues from nearly every corner—turn one, turn three, you name it. We lack rear contact, and that’s especially killing us in the quick sprints.” For Quartararo, who was banking on improved traction, the day turned into yet another disappointing chapter in Yamaha’s season-long battle with balance and braking.
The issues don’t end with traction, though. Quartararo’s machine seems to have a mind of its own, lurching and pitching during braking attempts. At one point, he over-braked so forcefully that his rear wheel was suspended nearly two meters off the ground, a move he didn’t plan on making. “This constant pitching is killing us; the rear tire does nothing to support braking, and we’re relying completely on the front,” he noted with frustration. “The rear offers zero grip, and we lose out both in traction and braking power.”
On top of his personal battles, Quartararo had a close watch on a surprising incident involving Arbolino, who was stopped on the track in a confusing moment alongside another rider. Fabio remarked, “It’s hard to say who’s to blame. Seeing someone stop with a marshal there was strange, but thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.”
As Quartararo gears up for another grueling round in Q1, the big question looms: can Yamaha resolve their persistent grip and braking problems, or will this season continue to be a trial of endurance rather than victory for the former champ?