Who slept the worst last night: Fabio Quartararo

Dear MotoGP fans,

51 seconds! With this deficit, Fabio Quartararo finished last in Aragon. He was even behind substitute rider Lorenzo Savadori. In comparison, Jack Miller fought like a lion.

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Already in the sprint, Miller drove bravely and missed a world championship point by only a tenth of a second. In the Grand Prix, he almost finished tenth and only lost a place to Brad Binder at the end because his rear tire was worn out.

With an inferior motorcycle, these were great performances by Miller. He is out at Yamaha, he is out of MotoGP, but he gives everything, rides with all his heart, bites, fights, and tries to get everything out.

That is no longer visible with Quartararo. He has given up, and Aragon seems to have been the final break with Yamaha. Finishing last by a wide margin almost seems like refusal to work.

Already after the first lap, the Frenchman was last. But let’s first ask him why he was so far back. He went off the track several times in the early phase.

“The start was not particularly good, but not bad either,” reports Quartararo. “I overtook Marini, who immediately overtook me again in the first lap. On the back straight, then Binder and Marini passed me.”

“I was in the slipstream, braking was earlier than expected, but my rear wheel locked, and I went completely wide. Shortly after, behind Toprak, my front wheel locked in turn 7, and I went wide.”

“After that, everything locked again, and I ended up completely in the gravel trap. I estimate that this one lap was about 15 seconds slower than normal, and after that, unfortunately, I was really far behind.”

Anyway. Aragon has never been a good track for Quartararo. His best result on this track is fifth place from his rookie season in 2019. But what he said off the track this weekend is crucial.

Quartararo never had confidence in Yamaha’s V4 project

First, we need to look back. In September 2025, Quartararo rode the new V4 Yamaha for the first time during a private test in Barcelona. That was a decisive moment.

Because at that moment, he lost confidence in Yamaha and decided for himself that this project was not his future. That is why he arranged the switch to Honda over the winter.

Thus, it was clear from the start that Quartararo would not fully commit and give everything this year. When asked about his season goals in spring, he repeatedly said that his only goal was not to get injured.

Photo series: The career highlights of Fabio Quartararo

I can understand that too. We currently see with Maverick Vinales how lengthy a shoulder injury can be. In the end, it ended his career.

Or let’s look back at Jorge Lorenzo. In autumn 2018, he suffered injuries and switched from Ducati to Honda not fit. That was anything but ideal and led to another injury in Assen and ultimately to the end of his career.

Therefore, I can quite understand that Quartararo does not ride with all his heart like Miller and risk everything. Whether a former world champion like Quartararo now finishes eleventh or 14th makes no difference to him.

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Nevertheless, it would be good if he would put himself at Yamaha’s service and help as much as possible with the new V4 project. Because he owes everything to Yamaha. Not only his world championship title but also his luxurious life.

That’s why Quartararo was so upset in Aragon

In Aragon on Saturday, he said he “didn’t feel like” testing things anymore because he had to test a chassis again that, according to his feeling, was no progress even the first time. He doesn’t understand why he has to test it several times then.

“Anyway, I am not able to help in the future. And for personal reasons, I also don’t feel like it,” were his words on Saturday. This is interpreted in the paddock as the final break with Yamaha.

On Sunday, Quartararo then explained his reasons for these statements: “To be clear: I don’t know if I am allowed to say this, but I say it anyway. I wanted to do the test in Austria.”

“But unfortunately, Yamaha doesn’t want me to ride with the Pirelli tires. I wanted to contribute something, but they don’t want it.” He means the Monday test after the Austrian Grand Prix.

On that day, the regular riders are allowed to test the new 850 prototypes with Pirelli tires. However, it is assumed that only a few regular riders will actually ride that day because many will switch manufacturers for 2027.

In June, for example, Pedro Acosta rode the 850 KTM and Luca Marini and Joan Mir the 850 Honda with Pirelli tires at the Monday test after the race in Brno, although they will ride for another manufacturer next year.

At that time, Toprak Razgatlioglu was allowed to ride the 850 Yamaha, as well as Marc Marquez the 850 Ducati and Marco Bezzecchi the 850 Aprilia, because they are staying with their teams. So they already have a first impression of the Pirelli tires.

They will continue the work at the Monday test in Spielberg. Whether Acosta, for example, will be allowed to test the KTM again, we do not know yet. Quartararo wanted to achieve that he could ride one day with the Pirelli tires.

Because he is switching to Honda, Yamaha forbade him. And that made him so angry in Aragon. That is why he no longer wants to test chassis, swingarms, or anything else for next year at the remaining races.

“Personally, I don’t feel like developing the motorcycle for the riders of 2027. So if we can still improve something this year, I will do it. But I will not go to the limit and play the test rider, as I did this weekend.”

With that, Aragon was the final break between Quartararo and Yamaha. A pity, because even though the last years were difficult, the combination of Quartararo and Yamaha holds a significant place in the history books.

Yours

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