MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo’s woes continue with a DNF, losing the championship lead

After a double crash at Misano, Fabio Quartararo has lost the championship lead.

Yamaha have gone through highs and lows this season with Fabio Quartararo suffering the most, the Frenchman had an incredible start to the season winning both races at Jerez with race 1 being his first MotoGP class win.

Yet since then, Quartararo has struggled every single round, not scoring a single podium and instead floating around mid-pack, taking his worst MotoGP result to date of P13 at Styria, the first time in his MotoGP career that he has finished outside of the top 10.

Quartararo has suffered a lot with the Yamaha’s issues but also his own mental issues, he has a lot of pressure on him due to the title lead and it is forcing him into mistakes like today when he crashed trying to chase Jack Miller, braking too late and crashing.

Speaking after the race, Quartararo was solemn but positive looking to the next race, “It was a really tough day, it is what it is, I take the experience, I make a mistake. I was struggling too much to overtake Maverick [Vinales], corner 14 was the only corner I could make an attack so I decided to do it there and it was the correct move, but then Jack was in front and I wanted to catch him too fast, I brake too late and lose the front,” confirming that although he had the pace to catch Jack, he was too eager to do so which forced him into a mistake.

The bike still has issues with overtaking, something many Yamaha riders are feeling, “We are struggling a lot with the bike to overtake, when you start first, it is the only way to win with the Yamaha.”

However, as undesirable as the result was to crash, Fabio was upbeat about the situation saying, “I take experience from my mistakes so of course, it is disappointing but I know that for the next one I will not do the same [mistake].”

When asked about the championship, Quartararo still feels it is in reach, “Of course, it can be (mine) [the championship], we have seen 5 different winners in 6 races so for sure it is totally different and it is crazy because its one of the closest championships ever and can still be champion, I will give my best and try to do less mistakes [in the coming races].”

Quartararo will be looking to improve on this weekend, taking valuable experience into next race weekend where we will race once again at Misano.

Featured image – www.motogp.com