Fabio Quartararo holds no high expectations for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. The French rider openly admits that Yamaha's home race will not be as sweet as KTM's triumph at the Red Bull Ring.
Quartararo will contest his final Asian round with Yamaha before moving to Honda in 2027. He spoke about the new Motegi asphalt, his goals for the weekend, and his feelings after the Austrian race. His main target is clear: secure a direct spot in Q2 on Friday, something he has achieved only once in the last nine races.
“I have no idea what I can do this weekend. I will try to do my best, see if there is good grip and try to understand if we can make a good attack,” said Quartararo. “I think it's one of the areas where I still perform well with the bike, so my goal will be to try to get into Q2 on Friday. We have only managed it once in nine races, so it will be a big challenge.”
Regarding qualifying, he stressed that starting further ahead is always better, but he acknowledges Yamaha's current reality. “We saw in Austria that it doesn't matter if we start ninth; when the race is very long, our real position is much further back. Especially at the Red Bull Ring,” he added.
The 27-year-old also remains cautious about the new Motegi asphalt and the possibility of weather favoring Yamaha. “Until you get on the bike, you can't really know how the asphalt is. It looks nice and wavy, but the most important thing is to check that it has good grip. This could help us,” he explained. “Can the weather help us? No. Both in dry and wet, we are still missing many factors that affect grip and everything else, even in the wet. So it will be important to understand the tires well and try to see the difference compared to Austria, given that the casing is different. We'll see how far we can go in Sunday's race.”
Although KTM shone at the Red Bull Ring, the 2021 World Champion is convinced that the track factor will not allow the Japanese factory to be as competitive. “We are in a completely different situation, where we simply try to maintain our pace and be as competitive as possible. I don't believe — in fact, I'm very sure — it won't be like KTM was in the last GP in Austria. Not even in terms of satisfaction,” he stated.
With Motegi being Yamaha's home track, the pressure is certainly higher. However, Quartararo chooses to be realistic. He focuses more on improving the bike's performance and adapting to the newly resurfaced track. This race in Japan will be a mental and technical test for the French rider before he closes his chapter with Yamaha.
For MotoGP fans, Quartararo's comments signal that Yamaha still has a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, a surprise at home is not impossible. One thing is clear: Quartararo does not want to get carried away and prefers to stay grounded.
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