Quartararo was 'too arrogant' in early 2023 Yamaha MotoGP struggles
Fabio Quartararo concedes he was “a bit more arrogant” than he should have been in the early part of the 2023 MotoGP season and has “to stay polite” with Yamaha.
The 2021 world champion has scored just two podiums this season as Yamaha languishes joint-last in the standings with Japanese rival Honda.
Quartararo has made no secret of his frustrations throughout the year, and has repeatedly told Yamaha he wants to see actions to his problems with the bike and not just words.
Both Quartararo and Marc Marquez’s situation at Honda have been likened, though the former has begun to accept his plight and is focused on getting the best out of each weekend.
Speaking after a Misano test in which he admitted he “expected much more” from Yamaha’s 2024 engine, Quartararo said: “I mean, Yamaha believed in me when I arrived from Moto2.
“My attitude in the beginning of the year was a little bit more arrogant than what I had to do.
“So, of course we are in a tough moment but I have to stay polite. We both want the same thing.
“Of course it’s difficult, but I prefer to stay calmer and try to build a better combination with everybody.”
Quartararo, who secured his 2021 title at Misano, endured a difficult San Marino Grand Prix weekend, finishing both races in 13th.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
The Yamaha’s lack of power, which it so far seemingly hasn’t fixed with its 2024 engine prototype, has made it difficult for Quartararo to overtake other riders during races.
He notes this is not a new problem, however, and revealed that he told Yamaha at the end of his title-winning 2021 season that he “cannot win anymore with this bike”.
“This is something that for years and years we have this problem,” he said of his overtaking struggles on the M1.
“And even when I won the championship, at the end of that year I said ‘we cannot win anymore with this bike’.
“And last year we finished second, we didn’t win. This year is even worse.”
Quartararo currently sits 11th in the standings, 189 points off championship leader Francesco Bagnaia heading to next weekend’s inaugural Indian GP.
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