Yamaha's home Grand Prix at Motegi left the Iwata factory with an enormous mountain to climb after lead rider Fabio Quartararo disclosed that his race was heavily compromised by severe fuel conservation issues. The 2021 MotoGP world champion admitted that the alarming predicament forced him to radically alter his riding style and hold back his true potential from the early stages of Sunday's grand prix.
Starting from 12th position on the grid, Fabio Quartararo ultimately crossed the finish line in the exact same spot. Although he salvaged a modest result as the highest-placed representative for Yamaha—comfortably ahead of teammate Alex Rins who finished down in 16th—the Frenchman insisted that he possessed the raw pace to fight significantly higher up the order.
The root of the setback unfolded dangerously early in the race, leaving Fabio Quartararo with no alternative other than massive throttle management. "It was difficult because from lap seven I had a fuel issue, so it was not the best way," he reported. The situation deteriorated to the point where he had to purposefully lift off the throttle across multiple high-speed sections of the circuit just to ensure his machine would make it to the checkered flag.
Detailing the extent of the power restriction, Fabio Quartararo explained the drastic measures required on the straights. "From Turn 2 to Turn 3 I was at 70% throttle, on the back straight 70% and 70% on the main straight. I could go faster but unfortunately we had that," he stated. This acute fuel consumption problem compounded Yamaha's ongoing struggle with low top speed, where the marque's four machines occupied the bottom four positions throughout the grand prix weekend.
Addressing whether the dramatic fuel consumption stemmed from an isolated electronic glitch, Fabio Quartararo maintained it was nothing out of the ordinary for their current package, though entirely unexpected. As reported by Motorsport.com, he confessed that the psychological stress of monitoring warning lights from lights-out to the finish line highlights the deep technical deficit Yamaha must urgently resolve.
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