Quartararo warns Yamaha MotoGP team "not allowed to make mistakes" now
Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo warns he and Yamaha are “not allowed to make mistakes” in the next races if he is to defend his crown.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
After the first four races of a hectic 2022 season, Quartararo has scored just one podium so far.
A lack of progress in the Yamaha package has meant either side of his Indonesia second place, Quartararo has finished ninth in Qatar, eighth in Argentina and then seventh last time out in America.
He is currently only 17 points off championship leader Enea Bastianini, but notes that the next run of races starting this weekend with the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao – where he won last season – have to bring podiums given how suited the Yamaha is to the coming track layouts.
“This one is 50/50 for us, but it’s true that Jerez and Le Mans are really important tracks for us,” he said when asked by Autosport if he views Portugal as the real start to his 2022 season.
“We are not allowed to make mistakes.
“If we want to fight for the championship, mistakes are not allowed.
“So, in this kind of track, it’s to be on the podium and make no mistakes because if not it will be difficult to arrive in a good position at the end of the year.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The Yamaha currently lacks top speed relative to its rivals and struggles when it gets stuck behind faster bikes, as the riders cannot use the cornering strengths of the M1.
Quartararo has previously noted that the M1 has a narrow operating window, which is very much dependent on the grip on offer at a circuit.
But, when asked if he was expecting any updates from Yamaha now MotoGP has returned to Europe, Quartararo said there had been no real discussions about this with his team.
“I hope [we get some updates soon],” he added.
“At the moment I have not much news about this, but we have to because imagine I was happy to finish P7 in Austin.
“It sounds ridiculous because I was world champion last year and I was happy to finish in that position in Austin. We need to have new things.”
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Quartararo stresses ‘quality over quantity’ with upcoming Yamaha MotoGP update
Espargaro considering Aprilia test rider role, but MotoGP future still open
The hockey expansion rule that could benefit Andretti's F1 bid
Quartararo: Marquez's Honda MotoGP exit "woke a lot of people up" at Yamaha
Marquez: Age a key factor in Quartararo's new Yamaha MotoGP deal
Why Yamaha has just six months to safeguard its MotoGP champion's future
Brake issues hindered Rosenqvist’s chances of IndyCar victory in Long Beach
Ayrton Senna's famous Honda NSX up for sale
Yamaha to test completely new MotoGP bike at Jerez
Krack: Aston Martin frustrated by inconsistent F1 penalty decisions
Can anyone stop "changed" Bagnaia as Ducati tightens its grip on MotoGP?
The signs that MotoGP's Japanese powerhouses are changing for the better
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
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.
Top Comments