Official Programme # MalaysianGP 62
“ FOR ME IT’ S THE BEST WAY TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE NEED. IT’ S A WAY FOR THEM TO SEE I’ M REALLY PUSHING.”
A look at the current MotoGP™ championship standings may not indicate it. But Fabio Quartararo’ s performances across the 19 races this year have been a reminder of his incredible talents.
The Frenchman is currently ninth overall but has stood out with some exceptional rides this term – namely his pole positions at Jerez, Le Mans, Silverstone and Assen, as well as the second place in Spain and the near certain victory in England, which fell through due to a mechanical failure.
While the 2021 MotoGP™ World Champion is rising as well as ever, he’ s noted his current Yamaha M1 struggles to stop in the same way to other bikes.“ When I ' m behind someone, they brake with both wheels, and we brake only with the front,” he said.“ So as soon as I ' m behind someone, I have to brake 20 metres before. But they can brake more or less similar because they have the rear that is stopping and this is why I get overtaken.”
FABIO QUARTARARO
But optimism abounds in the Yamaha camp. As well as scoring promising results through 2025, they are also working hard on its new V4 YZR-M1. The bike made its race debut at the San Marino GP, and Fabio has already sampled it twice.
“ In Barcelona we felt some difference that, for me, was in a better way.( At Misano) we didn’ t find it yet.,” he said.“ But, like the team said, there is still margin to improve.”
One of his current bike’ s strengths is its agility and strong feeling with the front tyre. This is still being worked on with the V4.“ It’ s not really a matter of front feeling,” said Quartararo.“ It’ s the turning. Of course the feeling for the inline 4 is really good; it is the strongest point of the bike. This one is maybe a bit worse, right now, but there are other really positive [ things ]. We are going to try and figure out what is possible.”
Quartararo has rarely looked happy in the second half of 2025. But he insists his demanding demeanour is a way to motivate Yamaha’ s engineers to bring the best possible machine to the track for 2026.
“ it’ s a way for them to see I’ m really pushing,” he said.“ I could just say nothing. I’ m the one staying the most in meetings because I really want to go back to where we can be. For me it’ s the best way to get back to where we need. It may be harsh but in the box I’ m the one really tries to make the most of it.”