Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo had a very encouraging Saturday at the Brazilian Grand Prix, exceeding expectations aboard Yamaha’s tricky new V4-powered M1 prototype.
After a difficult start to round two of the 2026 MotoGP season saw him finish FP1 with the slowest time on the grid, Quartararo bounced back by securing himself a fourth-place start after qualifying on Saturday morning.
The result was a stark contrast to what was expected of Yamaha heading into the race weekend.
Fabio Quartararo is working wonders at the Brazilian Grand Prix – where would Yamaha be without him?
Due to the new M1 still being very much in the development phase of its lifecycle, many have theorised that Quartararo is simply trying to navigate his final year with the Japanese constructor peacefully before making a move to Honda at the end of the current term.
The 2021 world champion put those theories to bed in the ensuing Sprint race, clinging on to P6 at the chequered flag as Marc Marquez took his first win of the year. Quartararo was able to race the Spaniard at one point, and has shared where his bike still lags behind the frontrunners.
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Fabio Quartararo says Yamaha’s V4-powered M1 is still 12kph slower than the Ducati GP26
After claiming an impressive P6 in the Sprint race yesterday afternoon, Quartararo voiced his satisfaction with the result, but refused to get carried away.
In his post-race debrief with journalists via GPOne, the factory Yamaha rider said, “I’m satisfied with this Saturday. I think we took advantage of an opportunity this morning, since many riders had issues with crashes while we managed to put in a good lap.
“Even today, especially at the start of the race, I felt good. We know we don’t yet have the potential to stay up front, but at least I’m enjoying these moments.”
The full Q2 results in Brazil
Fabio Quartararo up in P4 while Francesco Bagnaia struggles again…
The Frenchman was then asked if his difficulties during the race stemmed from the rear end of the 2026-spec M1. He somewhat agreed before highlighting the biggest issue that he and the rest of the riders in the Yamaha stable have been dealing with.
“Yes,” he replied, before adding, “But mainly to the bike’s lack of power. In qualifying, we were about 12 km/h slower than Marquez, and that’s a lot over a kilometre. I’d say 80% of the problem is the engine’s power.”
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The rest of the Yamaha stable struggled as Fabio Quartararo secured points in Brazil Sprint
Quartararo’s result showcased once again why he is the man Yamaha chose to lead their charge in recent years. The Frenchman has consistently been the best-performing rider for his stable for several years now.
During the Brazil Sprint, factory teammate Alex Rins could only muster a P13 finish from P17 on the grid, while the Pramac duo of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jack Miller finished at the very back of the finishers.
Despite the subpar result in the race, Razgatlioglu can take some confidence from his strong qualifying. The Turkish rider made it through to Q2 after a strong time in the pre-qualifying practice session, and will start the Grand Prix from P12.
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