Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha teammate Alex Rins stun with direct qualification to Qualifying 2 on Friday at the Portimao MotoGP.
Following the disappointment of starting from 16th and 20th positions in Qatar, Monster Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins both secured direct entry to Saturday’s Qualifying 2 at the Portimao MotoGP.
The duo wrapped up Friday’s session in ninth and tenth spots, a mere 0.008s apart and half a second adrift of Ducati’s Enea Bastianini at the front.
This achievement came despite the M1’s struggles in the dusty, low-grip conditions of Friday, especially when it came to optimizing grip from fresh tires for a hot lap.
Team principal Massimo Meregalli remarked, “Having both our riders in the top 10 and set for Q2 is a solid accomplishment. It’s always our goal, but we know it’s quite challenging to achieve currently.”
Meregalli added, “The track was a bit dirty today, and usually we struggle in those conditions, but today we managed okay.”
Quartararo, who started the season with an 11th place finish and +17 seconds behind the leader in Qatar, commented:
“I’m feeling quite positive. Making it to Q2 is a good step. We have several adjustments to make for tomorrow, as do other manufacturers, but I think we have a bit of a buffer from today.”
“In Qatar, we learned a lot, and the riding style we’ve been using is completely different from last year’s… and it’s still evolving! It’s not easy for me. While it’s not an entirely new bike, the style is different, and I still need some time to refine it.”
Rins Labels It ‘A Noteworthy Achievement’
Teammate Rins underlined that he was utilizing the same bike specification as in Qatar, with new components not slated until Monday’s private test.
“The bike remains unchanged from our setup in Qatar. We didn’t have the opportunity to experiment with new elements, but right from FP1, I felt comfortable on the bike,” Rins explained.
“This circuit presents quite a different challenge from Lusail, and I found myself adapting much faster. I showed good competitiveness in practice and managed to secure a spot in Q2. It’s a significant achievement for me.
“For quite some time, I’ve struggled to make it into Q2, partly due to the leg issue. It’s been several GPs since my last Q2 appearance, and we still have areas where we can improve.
“Our focus remains on the same key areas we identified in Qatar, so we’re gathering data, refining our setup, and aiming to maximize our gains from this opportunity.”
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