Yamaha has come into this season with a bike that has not evolved much since the 2021 Quartararo M1 with which it won the championship. A year later, the French driver was seventh in Austin, with a second place in Indonesia, a victory in Portugal and another second place last weekend in Jerez.
This situation contrasts with his Yamaha counterparts, his teammate Franco Morbidelli and the RNF Racing duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder, who have managed to sign 32 points compared to the 89 that Quartararo has in his locker.
“I’m riding at the limit at all times, but it’s true that the other Yamahas are going through a lot of difficulties, but in the end that’s not my problem,” the current world champion was honest.
“I have enough thinking about being fast with our bike. I, in the end, am taking care of myself.”
While Quartararo believes that all the M1’s problems in 2022 stem from a lack of power, his comments have been at odds with the other Yamaha riders, who claim a lack of rear grip. In this way, the boy from the Côte d’Azur admits that his ups and downs led him to be “surprised” to lead the standings after his victory in Portugal.
“I was already surprised that I was leading the championship last week [after Portimao], because apart from Mandalika, it was… I wouldn’t say a disaster, but my position was seventh, eighth, ninth, second, before the victory [in Portugal] “, said ‘ The Devil ‘.
In this way, Fabio Quartararo is aware that races are coming in which he will fight as he did in the opening rounds, where he was not so lucky with a ninth and eighth place, respectively. “I think I don’t need to be conservative,” he added. “I think I need to do my best every time I’m on the track.”
“In Austin I finished seventh and unfortunately I was happy, because I felt like I did my best, but I couldn’t do better.
“I have to be on the limit because I know there will be some tracks where I will fight, and this is the reality, we will be fighting like the beginning of the year,” he concluded.
