Fabio Quartararo “a bit lost” after Yamaha shocker at Austrian MotoGP
Quartararo was the leading Yamaha in Austria in 15th
Fabio Quartararo says he is “a bit lost” after the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix, as Yamaha bikes made up the final four positions in Sunday’s 28-lap race.
The Red Bull Ring has typically not been one of Yamaha’s strongest venues, but the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix proved to be one of the brand’s weakest moments of the season so far.
It couldn’t get any of its bikes higher than the sixth row on the grid, with all four making up the last four positions at the end of the grand prix.
Fabio Quartararo was the best of them, fighting his way into a single point in 15th, with the 2021 world champion complaining of a lack of grip on his M1.
“Yeah, after this GP I’m a bit lost,” he said.
“And I think the team is also waiting a bit to see how the bike is reacting to Hungary.
“But we expected to struggle here, but not as much. But we will see in Hungary.”
He added: “We are giving it our all to try to understand what exactly happened at this track this weekend.
“I didn't have a good feeling in the Race. I overtook Jack [Miller], and that's all.
“The pace looked good on Friday and Saturday morning, but for the sprint and race it completely changed – there was less grip.
“I watched the WorldSBK races at Balaton Park, and it looked a bit stop-and-go, which is usually not good for us, but we will see. We're ready to build from here and take steps forward.”
Quartararo identified as the difference maker in tough Austrian GP for Yamaha
Pramac’s Miguel Oliveira was third of the four Yamahas on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring and also bemoaned a lack of grip under acceleration.
This has traditionally been a problem for the M1, and is heightened at circuits like Red Bull Ring when Michelin brings its stiffer rear tyres for safety reasons.
But Oliveira, a previous winner at the Red Bull Ring with KTM, also noted that the M1 was weak under breaking in the grand prix and that only Quartararo’s talent allows him to be strong in this area.
“Today the ranking doesn‘t really matter regarding which Yamaha finished first or last, because when you‘re at the bottom it‘s irrelevant,” he said.
“We have no grip when accelerating out of corners, and we lack a lot of support from the rear to lean into the corner and turn faster.
“I think one of the biggest issues with this bike is the stopping.
“Fabio makes a huge difference on the brakes, but that‘s down to him – he‘s the one making the difference. We‘re already at the limit with the potential of this bike.”
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