Quartararo Felt “Stupid” as Yamaha Struggled in Catalunya

Fabio Quartararo admitted he felt “a bit stupid” during the Catalunya MotoGP Sprint after once again struggling with the straight-line weakness of the Yamaha.

After qualifying seventh, the 2021 MotoGP world champion gradually slipped backwards throughout the Sprint before eventually finishing 13th at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

From a technical perspective, Yamaha’s main weakness once again appeared in acceleration and top-speed performance along Barcelona’s long main straight, an area where its latest V4 project continues to trail its rivals.

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Quartararo recorded a personal best speed of 351.7 km/h during the Sprint, significantly slower than the KTM of Pedro Acosta, which reached 360.0 km/h.

Aprilia also managed 358.8 km/h with Ai Ogura, while Honda reached 357.6 km/h through Diogo Moreira.

"Here, with this long straight, we already knew… yesterday I felt a bit stupid!" Quartararo said during Sunday morning’s rider parade.

The French rider explained that he could only try to maximise the result possible with Yamaha’s current package.

"I just tried to manage the best result possible," he added.

Monster Yamaha team principal Massimo Meregalli also acknowledged that Quartararo struggled to defend his position during slipstream battles on the straight.

"Fabio did well in qualifying and had a solid Sprint start, but he struggled to defend his position," said Meregalli.

Despite the disappointing Sprint, Quartararo showed encouraging pace during Sunday morning warm-up by finishing second behind Joan Mir.

However, the Yamaha rider still expects difficult conditions in the grand prix due to worsening grip levels after the Moto2 race.

"When the grip is good like this morning, we can be fast. But after Moto2 the track becomes much more slippery," Quartararo explained.

Amid Yamaha’s ongoing technical struggles, Quartararo continued to receive major support from French fans in Barcelona alongside fellow French rider Johann Zarco.

"Honestly, the amount of French flags here is incredible. Many people are also here for Johann, so I am really happy to see that support," Quartararo concluded.