Fabio Quartararo is bothered by one thing his MotoGP critics keep saying about him

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Fabio Quartararo is suffering from another average season in MotoGP, a far cry from his championship-winning form with Yamaha in 2021.

Quartararo has produced some stellar laps in qualifying this season, taking four pole positions so far in 2025. However, the Grands Prix have been a different story with the Frenchman often finding himself going backwards at the start following the drop of the lights.

His podium in the recent Sprint race at the Sachsenring was dubbed a ‘rare’ feat for the rider, with pundits noting Quartararo’s quick start as a key factor in his third-place finish.

Even with his poor form at the start of 2025, Giacomo Agostini still thinks Quartararo is the best bet to dethrone Marc Marquez when the new MotoGP regulations take effect in 2027.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats

The perception of Fabio Quartararo being ‘only fast on one lap’ bothers the Yamaha rider

Despite being the only rider other than the elder Marquez to snatch a pole position this season, Quartararo has admitted that the talk of him only being fast over one lap ‘bothers’ him.

In an interview with AS, the Frenchman was asked for his thoughts on the promises Yamaha made him that he hasn’t yet seen, to which he replied, “Well, we’ve improved. Last year, my best Q2 result was seventh, and now we’ve had four pole positions and five front rows.

“The biggest challenge now is doing it in the race. People think Fabio is only fast on one lap, but that’s not the case.”

When prompted on whether the perception of his form in qualifying compared to race results bothers him, he said: “It bothers me because these are people who don’t know what we go through in the race and how our bikes change.

“I’ve always been more of a racing guy than a quali guy, but now we’re going very fast on one lap and all the difficulties are in the race.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Yamaha from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Yamaha’s weaker engine compared to MotoGP rivals multiplies ‘problem’ for Fabio Quartararo

The 2021 MotoGP champion identified the engine output of the Yamaha YZR-M1 as the limiting factor on race starts, which makes it difficult for him to achieve his desired results.

“I start first and in three laps I’m eighth,” the Frenchman continued. “But it’s not because there are just other riders, but because when there are other riders, we have more difficulty.

“They have a stronger engine, you have to close and you don’t get your line right, so we ride completely differently in a group and the problem is multiplied.”

Quartararo’s £10m-a-year contract with Yamaha expires at the end of 2026, meaning he will be free to explore his options with other teams ahead of the new regulations in 2027, which sees an engine overhaul.

If he opts to leave the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, it will end an eight-year partnership with the manufacturer with whom he has won 11 Grands Prix from 120 entries.