Quartararo: Vinales was “in another league” in Qatar MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo says his factory Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales was “in another league” in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, as the Frenchman had a “disaster” with tyre wear.
Vinales trailed Quartararo in the opening stages of Sunday’s season-opener at Losail, but carved through from sixth at the end of the opening lap to pass four Ducatis and Quartararo to score victory.
Quartararo faded from the podium battle to fifth by the chequered flag having encountered a drop in rear tyre grip he hadn’t experienced at all with the 2021 Yamaha.
The Frenchman noted his push in the end to get back ahead of Ducati’s Jack Miller and the Suzuki of Alex Rins to salvage fifth came from his “experience” of difficult days during his 2020 season.
“Actually, I was feeling so strong from the beginning and as soon as I overtook Jack I could catch Johann [Zarco] so fast,” he explained.
“But I could feel a big drop on the rear tyre that I didn’t expect because in the test, in the practices I didn’t have a drop in the rear tyre.
“And today it was a total disaster. When Maverick overtook me he was just in another league and he had much more grip than us.
“At the end I could overtake Rins and Miller because I was riding in a different way in the end.
“It’s experience from last year that actually P5 in a day that is not great for us, it’s what we need to do.
“In a tough day, making this kind of result will help at the end of the year.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Quartararo is at a loss to explain his tyre drop as he doesn’t feel he was riding hard and is “really curious” to check Vinales’ data to see why he didn’t have the same issues.
“Honestly, my riding – even when I was overtaking Jack – my riding was smooth,” he added.
“I was not burning the tyre like hell to overtake. I was feeling great, doing great corner speed and just the tyre had a big drop.
“So, this is what I don’t understand.
“Also, when I saw Maverick, when he overtook me, I was struggling but I saw he was pushing quite a lot with the tyre.
“I say ‘OK, maybe he will have a drop a little bit later’.
“But every time we had more and more drop, and luckily I had great front feeling and I could manage to make lap time in a different way.
“I feel it’s more physical [the bike] because I never had that shaking like today. I had lack of grip, the bike was so aggressive and a lot of shaking.
“So, [it’s] strange and I’m wondering to see how Maverick makes the first laps, if he was more smooth than us. But I felt like I was riding so smooth in the beginning.
“I talk with Valentino [Rossi] and he had the same drop as me. So, it’s quite a strange situation, I’m really curious.”
Related video
Previous article
Miller “hit a wall” with tyres in Qatar MotoGP
Next article
MotoGP champion Mir denied Qatar podium by "ambition"
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
How KTM has ended up with an embarrassment of MotoGP riches
Forming a ladder all the way from Red Bull Rookies Cup to MotoGP, KTM has created a steady stream of top talents in grand prix racing delivering the Austrian marque with the success expected of the brand. Here's how it has gone about it
Why MotoGP will miss its gentle giant
Danilo Petrucci’s days in MotoGP appear numbered, as KTM looks to completely reshuffle the Tech3 team for 2022. Though the Italian's 2021 season so far hasn’t been standout, the giant Italian covertly became a top runner in MotoGP across the last decade and brought with him a personality that world sport sorely needs more of
Why Mir's MotoGP title defence can’t be written off yet
Joan Mir’s defence of his MotoGP title has had an underwhelming start as Suzuki didn’t progress its championship-winning GSX-RR as much as its rivals did with their bikes over the winter. Speaking to Autosport, Mir lays out why his title defence has been stalled so far and why he’s confident title number two is still within reach
The Rossi replacement who’s become the MotoGP leader Yamaha needed
It's been six years since Jorge Lorenzo gave Yamaha its last MotoGP title in 2015. Since his departure at the end of 2016, Yamaha's form has been inconsistent but it has at last found a new talisman to return it to the top spot in the form of a precociously talented Frenchman who currently leads the standings
Why the Vinales/Yamaha MotoGP divorce satisfies both parties
On Monday Yamaha announced it will part ways with Maverick Vinales at the end of the 2021 season - a move requested by the rider. As the already strained relationship between both parties in MotoGP hit rock bottom in recent weeks, this divorce - as ORIOL PUIGDEMONT writes - is good for both Yamaha and Vinales for a number of reasons
The unexpected Rossi/Ducati MotoGP sequel offering redemption
A decade after first linking up with Ducati in what turned out to be an ill-fated period in his MotoGP career, Valentino Rossi has joined forces with the Italian marque once more - this time as a team owner. And the VR46/Ducati tie-up beginning in 2022 has the potential to right the wrongs of Rossi and Ducati's nadir of 2011/2012
Why Yamaha is about to risk losing Valentino Rossi
With Valentino Rossi’s next career move imminent in MotoGP, it is set to have wide-reaching influences on a number of riders and teams on the grid. But one of the biggest impacts will be felt at Yamaha, with its pivotal role in the saga set to see it lose its appointment with ‘The Doctor’
How Marquez beat his Honda in his heroic MotoGP comeback win
Marc Marquez has been through hell and back in the 581 days between his win in the 2019 Valencia season finale and his heroic MotoGP comeback victory in Germany last Sunday. Despite battling physical limitations and a difficult 2021-spec Honda, the Sachsenring provided the perfect storm for the Spaniard to return to the top step
