Fabio Quartararo: “Unpredictable” factor causes unusual Indonesian MotoGP practice order

One week on from the 2025 title being wrapped up by Marc Marquez, MotoGP had one of its most unusual days of the season, and Fabio Quartararo thinks there is one factor in particular at the root of it.

Circuits like that in Mandalika that are used infrequently often suffer from dirt on the opening day of running, especially in Indonesia where the track sits so close to the sea.

But Quartararo said that track grip was actually okay in Mandalika on Friday and reiterated and instead said that the tyres are behaving in an “unpredictable” way.

“I think that the grip is good but just the tyre reacts in a way that is unpredictable,” Fabio Quartararo said after Practice in Indonesia.

“This is why my pace was really slow and why the pace of many riders that usually are very fast is slow. 

“The feeling is like I ride super-tense. It didn’t feel great and I think it’s the feeling of many other riders that rode today.”

Quartararo explained that it is the construction of the tyre – which in Indonesia is the harder, heat-resistant variant also used in Thailand and Austria – is the cause of the unpredictability.

“Basically I think it’s just the rear carcass,” the Monster Energy Yamaha rider said.

“We had the same issue last year and we had the same this year. 

“It’s really related to the carcass, and I think that some riders feel it more than others. Really tough.”

He added: “It’s exactly the same carcass and same tyre as last year, but last year the feeling was not good, so this is why.”

"Impressed" by Rins, Oliveira

Perhaps highlighting even further the unusuality of Friday’s MotoGP practices in Indonesia were the comparative fortunes of Yamaha and Ducati, with three YZR-M1s making it directly through to Q2 whereas four of the six Ducatis – including both Ducati Lenovo Team riders Francesco Bagnaia and newly crowned 2025 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez – missed out.

Quartararo admitted to being impressed by his Yamaha stablemates Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira.

“I think that many riders like Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia], like Marc [Marquez], I didn’t really check, but also Alex Marquez who is 10th, for sure are not feeling so great with the tyres,” Quartararo said.

“But I was really impressed by Alex [Rins] and Miguel [Oliveira] that were able to go fast. 

“In my case, I could make one lap at the end but the feeling was clearly not there. So, impressed by Miguel and Alex today.”

He added that he does not think the lack of results for Ducati on Friday is down to “really suffering” but instead brought about by the tyres.

“I think we are always seeing Ducati 1-2-3,” he said. “For the first time, they are not there, and it’s not for one time they’re suffering. 

“For me, Aldeguer is second, so it’s not really suffering, it’s just suffering because of the rear tyre that gives no confidence to the riders.

“I think this is what happened: some riders feel more than others, but I don’t think there’s a specific bike that is suffering more or less. 

“We saw three Yamahas– for me, today, as soon as we started the practice I was not expecting to be in Q2. At the end, Miguel and Alex are also there.”