Quartararo "can't say" he will fight for Austrian MotoGP win
MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo "can't say" he expects to fight for victory in the Austrian Grand Prix and next week's Styrian GP at the Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is one of the least Yamaha-friendly circuits on the calendar owing to its high-acceleration nature, with M1 riders 6-12km/h slower than the Ducati through the speed traps in Austria on Friday.
Adding to its problems is the fact - as Autosport reported earlier - that Yamaha riders have had to turn down their engines over reliability concerns.
Quartararo - who did manage a third-place finish last year at Red Bull Ring - was only 0.010 seconds inside the top 10 in 10th in the only dry session of Friday in FP1.
Generally happy at the pace he showed considering he made a mistake on his time attack in FP1, and given the nature of the track, Quartararo admits he is likely facing damage limitation exercises for the Austrian double-header.
"For the tyres, I think it's going to be better, much better than in Brno because actually in FP1 we made a mistake, I forget to swap [engine] maps and it was a mistake," he said.
"Performance was still not bad, we make 1m25.1s at a track we struggle.
"Also, the setting of the bike was not so good this morning.
"Actually, I'm not so happy about today but I think I'm happy because I know that the condition of the bike was not so great.
"So, I can be happy tomorrow [as] we have more things to try.
"But, of course, we can't say that we are here to fight for the victory unfortunately.
"But I will do my best as possible, bring maximum point as possible and arrive at Misano that [will begin a run of] four races in a row that will be good tracks for us."
Autosport did press Quartararo on Yamaha's engine situation, but he claimed to have no knowledge of his motor being turned down.
"Well, actually I have no idea about it, but actually... I have no idea," he responded.
"Actually, I hope to have more power but I have no idea about the revs, that's maybe a question to ask to one of our team members."
Factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi was also pressed on the issue, though he too remained cagey - if giving the game away slightly - on the subject.
"A little bit yes, but the top speed for us is always a weak point," Rossi said when asked by Autosport if it was true that Yamaha's engines have been turned down.
"On the paper this track is difficult because all the straights are very long and in all the speed sheets we are very low.
"So looks like our bike has other strong points, but we suffer on top speed."
Is the real Dovizioso back after Austria MotoGP practice?
Iannone appeal delay "no issue" for Crutchlow's 2021 MotoGP Aprilia talks
Why physical fitness is an understimated challenge for IndyCar rookies
The lack of in-car physical fitness is an “underestimated” hurdle for an IndyCar Series rookie, according to Dale Coyne Racing's Indy Lights graduate Sting Ray Robb.
Bubba Wallace ‘got dumped’ by Austin Dillon in NASCAR Clash
Bubba Wallace says Austin Dillon “dumped” him out of second place in NASCAR’s chaotic Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night.
Albon warns Williams has "long road ahead" to recover in F1
Alex Albon admits that his Williams Formula 1 team has a “long road ahead” as it tries to progress up the field this year.
Toyota won’t put more pressure on Katsuta at WRC Rally Sweden
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala says the team won’t "put more pressure" on Takamoto Katsuta to deliver in his first drive for the factory team this weekend.
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 fights 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 MotoGP's comeback king ready to reclaim his 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 Autosport
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 Autosport 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 competition more than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
The Ducati rider who is much more than just the brother of a MotoGP legend
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 Autosport – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend
Ranking the top 10 riders of MotoGP 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. Autosport picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Autosport.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.