Fabio Quartararo couldn't hide his frustration. The Yamaha rider admitted he would be “furious” if he were regularly beaten by his teammate, responding to the struggles of Pecco Bagnaia in MotoGP 2026. The statement came ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, where Bagnaia arrives with three consecutive Sunday DNFs.
Bagnaia, a double MotoGP world champion, is still grappling with rear grip issues on his Desmosedici. Meanwhile, his Ducati teammate Marc Marquez has been shining with his fifth win of the season despite not being fully fit. Marquez now leads the riders' championship, leaving Bagnaia far behind.
When asked if there were similarities between his struggles at Yamaha and Bagnaia's this year, Quartararo replied firmly: “No, because Marc is winning. If Alex [Rins], Jack [Miller] or Toprak [Razgatlioglu] was winning, I would be, myself, in a bad situation. But it depends on many things. At the end, I don't know the relationship between Pecco and Ducati, how they are. But in my personal position—not opinion—if I was there and my teammate is winning, I would be furious and trying to understand why I wasn't able to do it.”
This comes after Bagnaia was caught on DAZN cameras claiming Ducati “won't let me” try a more standard bike set-up. Bagnaia later slammed DAZN for airing the clip and claimed his words were taken out of context. Quartararo himself said he didn't see the clip, but stressed that he always takes any grievances directly to Yamaha. “First, I didn't see the conversation, because when I'm at home I try to avoid everything related to motorcycles,” he added. “And, at the end, if I try to say some really private things, I don't really say them to other riders. I say them to my people, but I don't think it's really private. If I need to say something for myself to be better, I say it directly to my crew chief or to the people of Yamaha. I don't need to hide. So, then of course, if it's a pretty standard conversation. There is always someone, because they prefer the bad moments for the journalists, rather than the good moments.”
Quartararo himself is not in an ideal position. Recently, he vented his frustration to the French media, saying he would no longer help Yamaha develop the bike because the team did not let him test Pirelli tyres on Monday in Austria. He later admitted that his comments could have been better thought through. This situation reflects the pressure faced by top riders when results don't meet expectations, especially when a teammate performs better.
Bagnaia and Ducati are now under intense scrutiny. Three consecutive DNFs have made championship hopes increasingly slim, while Marquez continues to pull away. The rear grip issue is not just technical but also psychological. The pressure to match Marquez could affect decision-making on track. Ducati is also urged to find a solution quickly so Bagnaia can be competitive again.
On the other hand, Quartararo shows that openness with the team is key. He doesn't hesitate to criticise Yamaha directly, yet remains professional. His comments about Bagnaia could be a reflection of how difficult it is to be a rider losing to a teammate. MotoGP is not just about speed but also mental strength and internal team dynamics. How Bagnaia and Ducati overcome this will determine the rest of their season.
Baca Juga
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