Fabio Quartararo: “Strange feeling, the bike was jumping” before Misano Sprint crash
Fabio Quartararo blamed a “strange feeling” and said "the bike was jumping" after crashing in the Misano MotoGP Sprint race.
After delivering another Q1 to front-row performance in qualifying, Fabio Quartararo settled into a competitive fourth early in the Misano MotoGP Sprint.
Despite a ‘strange feeling’ from the rear tyre of his Yamaha, the Frenchman continued to keep the podium contenders within range until crashing at Turn 2 on lap 5 of 13.
“We experienced a strange feeling on the rear,” Quartararo said. “Disappointing because I didn't crash because I was over-pushing, just because already on the left side of the tyre there was a lot of vibration, a lot.
“We always have a bit, but never that much. And arriving into Turn 2, the bike was jumping. So I lost the rear and then the front. I wanted to continue, but it was clearly impossible, so I decided to stop.”
Just two laps after Quartararo’s accident, Marc Marquez crashed from the race lead. Was the track generally slippery in the Sprint?
“No, it was quite okay. Nothing really strange apart from the issue we had with the rear tyre, but the grip was pretty good,” he said.
Looking ahead, Quartararo feels a top five is possible on Sunday.
“I think it's a realistic target, it depends a lot on the grip after the Moto2 race, but I think that our pace is basically in the top 5.
“Hopefully the tyre will work normally, and with the medium I feel pretty good on the pace, so I think that we can make a great race.”
Pramac's Jack Miller finished the Sprint as the top Yamaha rider, outside of the points, in just 14th place.
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
