Quartararo can’t explain MotoGP suit problem in Barcelona
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo admits he doesn’t know why his leather race suit fully opened late on in the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix, which contributed to him losing a podium finish.


Quartararo fought for victory with KTM’s Miguel Oliveira in the second half of Sunday’s 24-lap Catalan GP, but was struck by a bizarre issue when his leather race suit completely unzipped itself with around five laps to go.
The Yamaha rider was seen dispensing of his chest protector and carried on riding with his suit down having failed to zip it up again, but would ultimately drop down to third in the closing stages.
An off-track excursion on lap 22 also gained him a three-second time penalty, which dropped him from third to fourth behind Ducati’s Jack Miller at the chequered flag.
When asked by Motorsport.com to explain what happened, Quartararo admitted he was at a loss and says Alpinestars is currently investigating the issue.
“What happened I don’t know, I just know that I had the leathers completely open in the first corner five laps to go,” he said.
“I tried to just put it in a normal position again, I couldn’t do it. So was difficult to ride, but unfortunately it happens.
“It happened today, so Alpinestars is looking at how it’s possible because at the end of the race it was possible to close it again.
“But it’s like this, it was not our day but I can be happy with this fourth position… well, third, but finishing fourth.”
Reaction on social media to Quartararo continuing with his leathers down was split, with a number of figures – including double MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner – believing the Yamaha rider should have been disqualified from the race.
The FIM rules regarding rider safety equipment does state: “The equipment must be worn, correctly fastened, at all times during on-track activity.”
Quartararo – who already disagrees with his time penalty for exceeding track limits – believes the matter of his leathers and whether there should be further punishment should go no further.
“Well, I think I already have a penalty that I don’t agree [with], demoted three seconds from P3 to P4,” he added.
“But I think this penalty is quite enough. But at the end, it’s finished, the race is finished.
“The safety… we finished the race, everything is safe.
“So, I think right now it’s not enough to talk anymore because the race is finished. I think there’s no point to talk anymore about these possible things.”
Read Also:
Even without the leathers issue, Quartararo doesn’t feel he could have challenged Oliveira in the end as he didn’t have as great a feeling on the hard rear tyre as he did throughout practice.
“Yes, I was saving the tyre but honestly even on the left side Miguel was so strong and I didn’t have the feeling of this morning with the hard, or even all the weekend,” he explained.
“I think all the Yamahas have this issue because for me Franco [Morbidelli] was one of the big contenders for the win and he finished far away.
“I had not the best feeling with the tyre, Maverick [Vinales] looks like too.
“So, strange feeling but with all the things that happened to us today I think fourth is quite okay.”
Related video

Barcelona MotoGP: Oliveira holds on to score KTM's first 2021 win
Mir: Quartararo endangered other MotoGP riders in Catalan GP

Latest news
Team 18's coin toss chassis allocation
Supercars squad Team 18 used a combination of a coin toss and a ping pong ball lottery to allocate its new chassis to drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom.
BRT not fazed by Ford aero questions
Blanchard Racing Team isn't fazed about the unresolved Ford aero package ahead of its maiden Gen3 Supercars test at Winton tomorrow.
Australian GP releases more race day tickets
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced a final limited release of race day tickets.
Tickford unveils first 2023 livery
Tickford Racing has unveiled its first livery ahead of the 2023 season with the covers coming off Brad Vaughan's Super2 entry.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.