Quartararo Mocks Yamaha: “We’re Number One From the Bottom”

Fabio Quartararo delivered a sarcastic verdict on Yamaha’s performance after Friday practice at the Catalunya MotoGP 2026. Despite securing the final direct Q2 spot in 10th position, the French rider admitted he had no idea how he still managed to produce a competitive lap amid the bike’s continuing problems.

"We’re in first place... from the bottom," Quartararo joked to reporters after Friday’s session in Barcelona.

Behind the humour, however, Quartararo was describing another difficult situation for Yamaha. The Japanese manufacturer once again suffered a major top-speed deficit, with the 2021 MotoGP world champion revealing he was losing up to 15 km/h compared to the fastest bikes through Catalunya’s speed traps.

Baca JugaQuartararo Sindir Yamaha: “Kami Nomor 1 dari Bawah”

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider explained that Friday had been chaotic from the beginning. Yamaha reportedly struggled with organisation inside the garage, while Quartararo also battled significant front tyre warm-up issues in Barcelona’s low-grip conditions.

"It was a difficult day, honestly a mess. We did one extra out-lap, then during the time attack I pushed on two flying laps. To be honest, I don’t know how I managed to do it," Quartararo said.

"We’re struggling to warm up the front tyre and I did a 1m38.9s on the first lap. Fortunately we’re in Q2, but it was a difficult day," he added.

From a technical perspective, Yamaha continues to suffer from its familiar combination of weak top speed and inconsistent rear traction out of slow corners. Catalunya remains one of Yamaha’s most difficult circuits because its long straights and stop-and-go layout heavily expose the M1’s acceleration deficit against Ducati and KTM machinery.

Quartararo also revealed that the aerodynamic package he is currently using costs him an additional 2 km/h compared to the other Yamahas on the grid. The situation suggests Yamaha is still struggling to find the ideal aerodynamic compromise between downforce generation and drag efficiency.

"In the first sector we’re struggling especially with top speed. I’m 15 km/h slower and that obviously doesn’t help in a fast lap or in the race. We’re also losing traction, but the track conditions are the same for everybody," Quartararo explained.

While Quartararo managed to salvage a direct Q2 place, team-mate Alex Rins endured a far more frustrating Friday. The Spanish rider finished second from last after suffering a crash and encountering yellow flags during his time attack attempts.

"It was tough, I’m really angry and frustrated. It’s hard to find anything positive today because we only had problems," Rins admitted.

Rins even joked that Yamaha’s biggest problem could be reduced to a single issue: the bike itself. He also highlighted a 10-12 km/h top-speed deficit and extremely low grip levels around Barcelona, further exposing Yamaha’s weaknesses.

The situation underlines how far Yamaha still is from achieving consistent competitiveness despite recent signs of progress at Le Mans. With severe tyre degradation and Catalunya’s demanding traction zones, Yamaha is expected to face another difficult challenge during both the sprint race and Sunday’s grand prix.