QUARTARARO SAYS FUEL TROUBLE HELD YAMAHA BACK AT MOTEGI

Fabio Quartararo said fuel conservation significantly hampered his Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, where he finished 12th after starting in the same position. The Yamaha rider was the manufacturer’s leading finisher at its home race, but suggested the fuel issue may not be a one-off, raising concerns about the bike’s consumption.

Quartararo said the problem began on lap seven, forcing him to ease off even while riding behind Brad Binder. “I could have gone much faster, but unfortunately I had to be careful with the throttle,” he said. He estimated he was using only 70 per cent throttle through turns two and three and on the straights. The Frenchman added that the issue was worse when he was not in Binder’s slipstream, and said he had not expected it to arise so early in the race. Despite the limitation, he was satisfied with his own riding.

The 2021 world champion said Yamaha’s lack of top speed is compounded by high fuel consumption, a problem he has encountered before, including at Misano. “We lack top-end power and unfortunately we also have high consumption,” he said. Quartararo explained that the bike’s warning indicator was flashing red from the start, though it sometimes went out. He believed he could have finished ahead of Binder and Luca Marini, but accepted that such problems are part of racing. He ultimately crossed the line in the position he had expected.

Quartararo had qualified 12th after reaching Q2 directly on Friday. He finished ninth in Saturday’s 12-lap sprint, benefiting from a crash involving Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta. He said the Yamaha could work reasonably well over a single lap, but felt the team missed an opportunity with its tyre choice.

Michelin brought a tyre with a harder carcass and soft compound to Motegi. Quartararo said Yamaha should have considered it earlier, particularly for qualifying. The bike had been pumping on corner exits during Saturday’s time attack, while the alternative carcass reduced that movement. He thought it might have allowed the team to use more power. “It was strange, because nobody used it and in the end it was the best tyre,” he said.