QUARTARARO NOT ENJOYING YAMAHA

Fabio Quartararo not enjoying Yamaha – Photo: LAT

Fast Frenchman Fabio Quartararo saw his MotoGP title hopes dealt a severe blow in the European Grand Prix, admitting post-race that he is not enjoying riding the Petronas Yamaha machine.

By DAN McCARTHY

The former championship leader came into the race 14 points adrift of factory Suzuki rider Joan Mir in the series.

However, while the Spaniard took his maiden MotoGP victory Quartararo fell off his bike, the Frenchman remounted but could only recover to finish in 14th position.

Post-race Quartararo who now sits 37 points behind Mir expressed his frustration riding the inconsistent Yamaha.

“Mathematically it’s still possible to win the championship,” he said.

“But I just need to have fun because it’s quite a lot of races apart from Le Mans that I’m not really having fun in a race weekend.

“(It’s) not caused by pressure or anything like that, (we) just don’t find the correct setting, (it’s) so difficult to understand why.

“We are still second in the championship, I think that we have great possibilities to finish in this place. I will never give up until the last lap and the chequered flag of Portimao.”

After winning the first two rounds of the COVID-19 affected MotoGP season, Quartararo looked as if he was the man to beat.

However, since that second race at Jerez 10 rounds ago, the 21-year-old has scored just one podium finish, his race victory in Catalunya.

After the European Grand Prix Quartararo sits 37 points adrift of the championship leader with two races to go, the Frenchman needs Mir to finish off the podium this weekend to remain in mathematical contention.

Reflecting on the first lap crash, Quartararo explained that he was put off slightly by Aleix Espargaro falling off just a couple of metres ahead of him.

“Aleix crashed just in front of me at the beginning of the race,” Quartararo recalled.

“Everything is so on the limit (on lap 1) and when you see someone crashing you don’t need a lot to crash. Just a small touch on the brake at that kind of lean angle that normally you need to open the throttle for, (if not) that means that you have a crash.

“Unfortunately, we lost many points in this race that was actually not going to be the best being realistic but quite good.”

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