Quartararo “lost” after Jerez MotoGP arm problem
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo admits he’s “lost” about what to do after an arm-pump problem robbed him of a commanding MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
The erstwhile championship leader took the lead at the end of the fourth lap having dropped to fourth from pole, before building up an advantage of well over a second.
On course for a third win of the season, Quartararo began to experience arm-pump at around mid-distance and plummeted down the order to 13th.
“Quite easy to know I had a big issue with the arm,” Quartararo said when asked what went wrong.
“So sad because I was feeling really easy in front, I was P4 [on lap one] and I could overtake them.
“I was comfortable with the pace, we had amazing pace this weekend and just had no more power in the arm.
“So disappointed about it, but I’m staying [positive] with the pace I did, fighting to the end even if it was for three points.
“But I fight and I’m staying [positive] with that.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Quartararo had an operation for arm pump during his rookie campaign in 2019 but insists he has never had any issues at Jerez in his life.
His team is evaluating options for him ahead of the French GP in two weeks’ time, but he admits the amount of information being given to him about this has made him feel “lost”.
“I have no idea, I can’t answer this question because my brain right now is not working,” Quartararo said when asked how he will manage the problem.
“I’m thinking too much, so I prefer to not… I have people already looking, my manager, my best friend, to try to look at the best options.
“I have no idea, for sure something is planned because it’s not OK, my arm is not OK.
“In Portugal last year it was disaster, this year was perfect. Here [at Jerez] I never had problem in my life, this year I have a problem.
“It’s something I don’t understand. We are still looking but there are too many options.
“My brain is full of people telling me to go in one place, to go to the other. And actually right now I’m lost.”
Several riders – including Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who was sixth – encountered issues with arm-pump in the Spanish GP, while race winner Jack Miller recently underwent an operation having battled the problem in the Doha GP.
Related video
Emotional Miller “worked arse off” for Spanish MotoGP win
Marquez “destroyed” after Jerez MotoGP race
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special