Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo was the true star of the Spanish Grand Prix after managing his best result for three years at Yamaha.
Not only did the Frenchman produce an incredible lap to take pole position, but he also held off a factory Ducati rider all race on what is expected to be a much slower Yamaha bike.
Quartararo’s performance at the Grand Prix of Spain helped lift him inside the top six of the riders’ standings and shows that he can be dangerous for his rivals in 2025.
With 17 MotoGP races left to go this season, there is plenty of time for him to continue to make inroads on his rivals, especially with the concessions system permitting them to test and develop more.
A big change unlocked the ‘special’ Quartararo, after his team altered their approach to the engine, sacrificing power for driveability.
It went on to help Quartararo produce an ‘unreal’ moment, with a lightning start during the sprint race in Jerez.
Max Bartolini claims MotoGP concessions system ‘slows down’ Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha
The concessions system permits both Honda and Yamaha to continue to develop their engines, as well as test as much as they would like in a bid to help them catch up.
Last season, there was a much bigger gap to the front of the field. Both teams developed very well over the winter.
But Yamaha chief Max Bartolini sees the extra testing as a bit of a sacrifice and problem, as it slows their development down.
“If we only do pure test tasks during the tests during the year, then this makes the factory drivers slower,” he told Speedweek.
“It is not possible to do a double job 100 percent. We always have to let them drive free and let them work on their setting and speed.
“It’s easier in winter testing. But testing during the season slows down the development process. We can theoretically test a lot, but in practice we can’t use everything for testing purposes.”
How high can Yamaha and Fabio Quartararo aim in 2025?
It’s important to remember that Jerez was one of Quartararo’s strongest circuits. He took his first victory there in 2020.
So the 26-year-old isn’t going to be that fast at every circuit, but he is performing wonders that three other Yamaha riders cannot replicate currently.
The closest to him has actually been Pramac’s Jack Miller, who has been impressive since joining them for 2025.
Having an extra team to help with feedback and development will be a crucial factor down the line, as they look to close the gap to Ducati.
On the evidence of the opening five rounds, there has to be a chance for them to take a race victory at some stage this season.
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