Fabio Quartararo has finally addressed his controversial comments about Yamaha, admitting that frustration got the better of him and vowing to tone down his rhetoric. The Frenchman's outburst at the Aragon Grand Prix last month sparked a rare public exchange with his employer.
It all began when Quartararo said he didn't want to help Yamaha for "personal reasons" at MotorLand Aragon, later clarifying that his frustration stemmed from the team's decision not to let him test next year's Pirelli tyres. Yamaha responded two days after the race, with team principal Paolo Pavesio saying Quartararo "lacks objectivity" and effectively closing the door on his participation in the Pirelli test after the Austrian GP.
Ahead of the San Marino GP, Quartararo was asked if he regretted his words. He didn't admit regret outright but offered context. "No, I think it's not about regret or not," he said. "With the frustration, we said things that maybe weren't right. We had a meeting last week together, everything was sorted out and everything is pretty normal."
The 2021 champion then opened up about the mental toll of Yamaha's recent struggles. "You never get used to having some difficult moments," he said. "The frustration is always there when you are not achieving what you want. It doesn't matter if we know that our package at the moment is not at the level we want. So you don't get used to it."
He emphasized his competitive nature: "I'm competitive, I want to fight. So if I really don't care, I'm not really enjoying and I don't want to race anymore. This is why sometimes I take care maybe too much. So my frustration is too high. But I need just to say the good words in the correct moment."
Interestingly, Quartararo acknowledged the need to channel his emotions differently. "Maybe I need to throw [the frustration] in a different way. Maybe I need to throw it away when I'm alone in the motorhome, and talk to you guys [media] in a more gentle way," he joked.
In the interview, Quartararo also revealed he has worked with sports psychologists to navigate tough periods. "I've worked [with a sports psychologist] in the past. It can help because at one moment of my career I had to go. I started when I was in Moto2, so it was a long time ago. It was not really related to the bike, it was more related to myself. Lately, I've not been there for maybe a year and a half," he explained.
He stressed that the current issue is more about his comments than his riding. "My feeling is good, just at the moment I'm not feeling good with the bike. And we try to sort things out, but it's nothing really related to psychologists at the moment. I knew when I had to go, you feel it when you have to go. I've been maybe six, seven times, maybe even more," he concluded.
Read Also
Marc Marquez leads FP1 at MotoGP Misano 2026 after late surge to beat Marco Bezzecchi. Full results and analysis here.
Marc Marquez leads FP1 at Misano MotoGP 2026, beating Marco Bezzecchi by 0.060s. Jorge Martin 8th, Bagnaia struggles in 18th.
Marc Marquez leads FP1 at the 2026 San Marino MotoGP in Misano, beating Marco Bezzecchi by 0.060s. Full results and analysis.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!