QUARTARARO SAYS 2026 TITLE RACE IS NOT “WEIRD” AFTER SILVERSTONE DISAPPOINTMENT

Fabio Quartararo described his Silverstone weekend as thoroughly disappointing, saying there was “nothing positive” even before the outcome of his race. He was demoted from 12th to 16th after a post-race penalty for a technical infringement on his factory Yamaha, and he added: “We didn't have fun at all.” Quartararo said the pace never allowed him to properly attack, explaining that “We were surviving all the race, not able to push,” while he spent the race “looking at the others, how fast they were going in the beginning.”

Despite Quartararo’s personal frustration, the British Grand Prix itself underlined how varied the field has been. Raul Fernandez took victory, becoming the twelfth different winner in as many Silverstone races, while Aprilia backed up its form with a top-three sweep across qualifying, Sprint and the grand prix. Quartararo pointed to the way Aprilia’s package matches the circuit’s demands, noting: “We can see since 2022 when Aleix won [here], it looks like the DNA of the bike is suiting this track a lot.” He said the bike’s strengths show up particularly in the circuit’s character: “I think it's a bike that turns really well in high-speed corners. There are a lot of high-speed corners in this track.” He also acknowledged that not every venue highlights every machine equally, stating: “It's true that some tracks you can feel the DNA of some bikes are better.”

On the wider question of whether 2026 has become unusually unpredictable, Quartararo pushed back. “I don't think it's a really weird championship,” he said, rejecting the idea that the season’s results are out of the ordinary. He cited recent form swings across the grid, pointing to “Bezzecchi is back on the podium,” that “Jorge is fast,” and that “Raul has been fast lately,” while also referencing that Ogura crashed but “for sure he was also really fast.” Quartararo argued that the pattern is more about specific races than a broader trend, adding: “I think it's not weird.” He also suggested Ducati’s difficulties at Silverstone fit the same logic, saying: “I think that Ducati struggled in this track. Last year they also really struggled, if I remember well, in the race.”

Looking ahead, Quartararo expected Ducati to bounce back at Aragon, saying: “But I think at Aragon we will see a red Ducati [Marc Marquez] quite fast.” He also anticipated Aprilia remaining strong through Aragon’s faster corners, concluding: “So I think it will be a really nice race in Aragon. Not for us, but for the spectators!”