Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo earned the second-best finish of his season so far at the German Grand Prix, but he knows that Yamaha have a ceiling.
Quartararo finished P7 at the German Grand Prix thanks in large part to crashes from riders like Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Joan Mir.
It marks his best finish of the season since Le Mans, where he earned a P6 result in his home race. Despite Quartararo’s relentless criticism of Yamaha this season, he brought in a great result.
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Two of Quartararo’s best results this season have come off the back of other riders on the track struggling massively, raising huge questions about Yamaha’s work on their bike this year.
And with what Fabio Quartararo said about his prospects for the second half of the season, incoming riders Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura will be a lot more comfortable heading to Yamaha in 2027.
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Fabio Quartararo admits Yamaha’s full focus is on their 2027 bike
Speaking to GP One and other reporters after the German Grand Prix, Fabio Quartararo was asked about his prospects with Yamaha heading into the second half of the season.
While Quartararo entered the season with some expectation to compete, Yamaha’s focus being so clearly on their 2027 850cc bike has left him hopeless for the second half of the season.
“Yes. Even though I knew at the beginning of the year that I wouldn’t stay with Yamaha, I still expected improvements. I wanted them for myself, to achieve better results, but also for the brand.
“Now, however, I know they’re completely focused on the 850cc project. So I don’t expect anything from them anymore. I’m not asking for anything, I’m simply trying to get the most out of what we have.”
While Quartararo might be frustrated that his final season with Yamaha will end in an anti-climactic fashion, Ai Ogura and Jorge Martin will be thrilled to hear how much they are focusing on their new bike.
While Yamaha’s intense focus on their 2027 project isn’t exactly news, it does actually point to a weakness they’ve shown this year, one that Quartararo pointed out.
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Fabio Quartararo says Yamaha ‘turning everything upside-down’ is costing them performance
Speaking further after the race, Quartararo suggested that his best results have shown that his bike set-up should be simple, and Yamaha trying to do too much has cost him some results.
“Actually, no, because this is the same bike I had used in Barcelona and also in Le Mans. There is nothing new to bring to Silverstone.
“But it’s interesting to see that all my best results this year came with this bike and this setup. I think we don’t have to make too many things up: it’s better to work on the details than to keep turning everything upside down.”
This will be a concern for both Martin and Ogura, as it suggests that Yamaha don’t have the best approach when it comes to strategy and race preparation.
Martin has expressed optimism over his move to Yamaha recently, but these comments from Quartararo will definitely give the Spaniard some cause for concern.
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