Fabio Quartararo clarifies: ‘No set deadline. No formal discussions with Yamaha yet.’
Yamaha would have breathed a sigh of relief as their star rider Fabio Quartararo mentioned that he isn’t set on a fixed deadline to decide on his 2025 MotoGP future.
However, the Frenchman also hinted at being open to offers from rival manufacturers, stating, “we have to listen to everyone.”
Yamaha endured their first winless season since 2003 last year, with former world champion Quartararo also experiencing a new personal low, finishing tenth in the standings.
Earlier this week, former title rival and reigning double champion Francesco Bagnaia became the first rider of the year to officially sign a new two-year Ducati deal for 2025.
Yet, Quartararo is willing to wait and observe the results of Yamaha’s latest phase of MotoGP restructuring, focused on the recruitment of key former Ducati engineers Marco Nicotra and Max Bartolini.
“No, there is no fixed deadline. No formal discussions have taken place with Yamaha yet,” Quartararo mentioned on the eve of the Qatar season opener.
“So I believe I’ll need some time to assess the project, the team’s mentality, and how things progress with these new engineers.
“At the moment, I can see that they are making strides… But I think we should keep an open mind and listen to all options.”
Heading into his sixth MotoGP season, all of which have been on Yamaha machinery, Fabio Quartararo expresses confidence that the new access to technical concessions will hasten the M1’s recovery.
“I think it’s really important, especially to have many adjustments available on the bike,” he explained. “Having the opportunity to test more during the season will be beneficial… especially since we only have two bikes.”
Although there has been an improvement in engine performance over the winter, Quartararo still has concerns about qualifying speed. Testing concluded with the Yamaha riders, including new teammate Alex Rins, facing a noticeable gap to the leading machines from Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM.
“The most significant change we experienced during the winter was in top speed. We are quite satisfied with that,” Quartararo remarked.
“Perhaps it won’t make a huge difference over one lap, but when it comes to racing, I believe it will make it much easier to prepare for overtakes or stay closer to the rider ahead. I think we can ride more similarly to the other manufacturers.”
However, Quartararo acknowledges there are numerous areas that need improvement. He highlighted issues such as electronics and the approach to using the rear tire when entering corners, noting a decline in performance in these aspects over recent years.
“There are areas where we need to make strides. Even last year, our race pace was consistently better than our one-lap speed, and we understand the importance of making it into Q2 by Friday afternoon,” he explained.
“We need to address aspects like electronics and our approach to cornering, which have been areas of concern. We need to revert back to our smoother riding style from ’19 or ’21. I think it will take time for us to fully comprehend what needs to be done.”
Considering this, Quartararo admits it’s challenging to pinpoint when the M1 will be back in contention for victories.
“Well, hopefully, as soon as possible,” Quartararo expressed. “But predicting when the bike will be ready is difficult.
“Last year, I couldn’t manage better than third place. So this year, I hope we can compete for victories when the opportunity arises.
“But I believe we need to take it step by step, not focusing solely on winning but aiming to be in the top five consistently. From there, we can build up.”
Quartararo concluded the previous Qatar race in seventh place and was 14th on the recent testing timesheets.
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