Fabio Quartararo has dismissed any suggestions that his MotoGP future with Yamaha is a distraction.
Yamaha’s challenging start to the 2024 MotoGP season might result in them losing their most valuable asset, Fabio Quartararo.
Quartararo has been associated with Aprilia, but he chose to stay away from talks regarding his future. However, he did mention that his close friend Thomas Maubant is handling the negotiations.
“I don’t have a manager, but Tom [Maubant] is handling that,” stated Quartararo in Portimao. “He’s essentially doing the job of a manager for me, and he’s one of the few people I trust completely.
“That’s why I assigned him this role last year. He’s managing the discussions and negotiations. I’m not preoccupied with contracts.
“We’ve had some discussions with friends, but it’s not a distraction for me. It’s not something on my mind when I’m out on the track.”
Quartararo, a two-time race winner with Yamaha at Portimao, faces an uphill battle considering their current struggles.
When asked about his prospects, Quartararo remarked, “To be honest, they’re low. But we need to stay positive and give our best.
“Of course, I’m not really aiming for victory. For me, securing a spot in Q2 directly is crucial.”
“We will focus on qualifying well and then assess our performance in the two races.”
While Qatar proved to be a challenging weekend for the Japanese brand, the lack of testing during the race week might provide Quartararo and Yamaha with an opportunity.
Asked if he anticipates being in a better position than his rivals as a result, Quartararo remarked, “In my opinion, yes, because we didn’t have testing and it’s a different track. We’ve had two strong races here in the past, and I believe we can be quite competitive.
“I think it’s positive that we are gathering information gradually, and we have made a lot of changes since Valencia last year.
“The way we approach our lap times is completely different now. We’ve made significant changes, but I don’t expect us to go from zero to a hundred in three months.
“However, we are accumulating valuable data even if the results haven’t shown a clear improvement.”
Delving into the major changes at Yamaha, Quartararo hinted at adjustments in corner entry as one of the key areas of focus.
“Essentially, it’s about our approach to corner entry,” explained the 2021 world champion. “The power delivery on the bike in various gears is significantly different. Sometimes, you demand a lot from the bike but it doesn’t respond as expected.
“Compared to last year, we are using less power overall, but in different areas that previously demanded more from us.
“We are learning how to utilize our bike effectively and understand its limits.”
