Fabio Quartararo admits he’s lost his ‘love for riding’ on Yamaha’s underperforming bike

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Fabio Quartararo says Yamaha are making no progress after another gruelling race at the Spanish Grand Prix. Quartararo scored points but takes little satisfaction from 14th.

The 2021 world champion was knocked out in Q1 for the third time in four races on Saturday, qualifying P17. He was outpaced by wildcard rider Augusto Fernandez in tricky conditions but led the quartet of full-time Yamaha riders.

Quartararo bagged P7 in the Sprint, but his performance in the fully dry Grand Prix was a clearer reflection of where Yamaha stand. They remain a distant fifth in the constructors’ standings with just 14 points, 25 behind Honda.

What have you made of Fabio Quartararo’s attitude at Yamaha this season?

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Fabio Quartararo rues Yamaha’s regression at Spanish Grand Prix

Speaking to outlets including GPOne after the race, Quartararo reiterated that Yamaha don’t have a single identifiable strength this year.

But their biggest problem is that their proposed solutions only seem to open up more problems.

Confident he’s extracting the maximum from the bike, Quartararo pointed to Yamaha’s decline over the past 12 months. He finished runner-up behind Alex Marquez at this race last year, but was 29.5 seconds behind at the chequered flag this time.

• READ MORE: Neil Hodgson says Yamaha would be better off ‘blowing up engines’ to speed up V4 development

Yamaha’s V4 engine is in its infancy compared to the inline four they raced last year, but the factory riders are extremely frustrated despite the brand’s calls for patience.

“I struggled in terms of grip and power. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single area where we’re strong and where I can say I feel comfortable. I don’t feel comfortable braking, cornering, cornering, acceleration, braking.

“There are so many areas where we have problems and we suffer. Even if we solve one, another one pops up.

“Personally, I’m not stupid; I know how to ride and how much we lose, in fact it’s there to see. A year ago, I was on the podium, but today I’m 30 seconds behind.

‘Top speed is the least of our concerns’ – Fabio Quartararo on Yamaha’s engine

Last time out in Austin, Yamaha’s problems were most evident on the long back straight, where their riders were helpless to defend.

But Quartararo says the team can’t pin the deficit to the other four teams on a lack of top speed because they also lack performance through the corners.

The Frenchman, who is reportedly set to join Honda in 2027 after his Yamaha contract expires, says he’s no longer having ‘fun’.

• READ MORE: Yamaha told Fabio Quartararo just wants to get to Honda in one piece after agreeing 2027 move

“We don’t have a new engine to test, but top speed is the least of our concerns, especially on a track like this,” he said. “I just want to rediscover my love for riding and have fun on a motorbike.”

Quartararo does at least have his home race to look forward to in a fortnight’s time, though a repeat of last year’s pole position isn’t on the cards barring a miraculous turn of events.