Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo’s public criticism of Yamaha’s V4 efforts continued on the first day of practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the Frenchman highlighting how the team have failed to address issues he raised with them over six months ago.
The difference in performance of Yamaha’s 2026 prototype compared to the rest of the grid was on display once again today in Jerez, with all five of the factory’s riders failing to make it through to Q2 from the pre-practice qualifying session.
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Fabio Quartararo was the lead rider in P17, with Toprak Razgatlioglu impressing once again despite only setting the 18th fastest time of the session. To help alleviate the woes of their riders, Yamaha have fielded Augusto Fernandez as a wildcard entry this weekend.
The Spaniard finished the day off with the slowest effort on the time sheets, while Jack Miller and Alex Rins rounded out P20 and P21, respectively.
- READ MORE: Carlos Checa thinks Toprak Razgatlioglu has been ‘excellent’ in MotoGP compared to Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo slams Yamaha for not addressing issues that he raised last September
After failing to make it through to Q2 in the pre-practice qualifying session, the 2021 world champion shared his fury with Yamaha’s regression from last year’s edition of the Spanish Grand Prix.
During his post-practice media duties, the Frenchman told journalists, via GPOne, “The reality is what you see. Being a second off our best time means we’re struggling. But we have to get used to this situation.
“Obviously, when we arrive at the track on Thursday, we want to be competitive and motivated to aim for a good result, but the truth is that we’re far away. The temperature is cooler now than last year, so we should be faster. Instead, we’re way off the pace.
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“We need speed, but here in Jerez, that’s the least of our problems. Right now, more than speed, we need a bike that turns, has grip, stops well, and gives us confidence in the front. These are the things I’ve been asking for since September. The fact is, we haven’t found anything.”
There’s no doubt that Quartararo has been Yamaha’s most vocal critic since their woes in the premier class started. However, it’s clear to see that the Japanese constructor is currently struggling more than ever, considering the fact that he secured pole position at Jerez last year.
- READ MORE: MotoGP fans call out ‘unprofessional’ Fabio Quartararo for his latest ‘childish’ Yamaha claim
Fabio Quartararo also noted that last year’s Yamaha bike was ‘night and day’ better than the V4
During the 27-year-old’s initial comments to the media on Thursday afternoon, he detailed how his current sentiments are that Yamaha have taken a step in the wrong direction by pursuing the V4 engine layout in their MotoGP challenger.
Quartararo smashed the lap record last year, but is now a couple of seconds off the pace of his benchmark.
He was candidly asked by journalists if he thinks the previous generation of bike is better than the current one, to which he replied, via GPOne, “Like night and day. Sure, last year’s bike wasn’t the best in some areas, like power and rear traction.
“Now, however, we see that the potential isn’t there at all. We’re working to try to improve, but, as far as I’m concerned, I have zero feeling with the front.
“Right now, I’m a bit lost in that regard. I hope we’ll find a solution so we can get back to pushing one hundred percent, regardless of the results.”
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