Fabio Quartararo Faces Challenges Ahead of Race Day at the British Grand Prix
Fabio Quartararo, the pole position holder for the British Grand Prix, shared his concerns regarding the upcoming race day, expressing a lack of optimism after observing the performance of leading Ducati riders who swiftly passed him during the Saturday sprint. Although Quartararo initially took the lead at Silverstone, he quickly found himself overtaken by Marc Marquez, who effortlessly sped by on the factory Ducati GP25 as soon as the competitors reached the Hangar Straight. The situation became even more challenging for the French rider when Alex Marquez, riding the less powerful GP24, also maneuvered past him shortly thereafter, just as the group exited Club and approached the home straight.
Reflecting on the first lap, Quartararo remarked, "On the first lap, Alex Marquez overtook me before the finish line," although the official timing indicated that the pass occurred after they crossed the timing beam. He expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m not naive; I understand how to race, but being overtaken in such circumstances is disheartening.”
Earlier in the day, Quartararo had made headlines by claiming pole position despite a notable deficit in straight-line speed compared to his competitors. He achieved a remarkable lap time without receiving any drafting assistance from fellow riders. The 26-year-old recorded a top speed of 324.3 km/h during his pole lap, which was the slowest among all competitors in a session where the factory Ducati bikes exceeded 334 km/h. This power imbalance was expected to be more pronounced in race conditions, and Quartararo did not hold back in expressing his concerns post-qualifying.
“While there were some positive takeaways today, if you look at my top speed, I’m significantly behind,” he acknowledged. The fast layout of the Silverstone circuit highlighted the limitations of Yamaha’s recent engine updates, but engine power was not the only factor dampening Quartararo’s expectations for the race. He noted that the Yamaha M1 was struggling with grip levels, which had noticeably worsened since qualifying.
"The grip situation was extremely critical for us, and I couldn’t maintain speed," Quartararo explained. “We experienced a lot of chatter, and there was a stark contrast between how the bike felt in the morning and how it performed in the afternoon.” He elaborated, “Even a minor change in grip affects us disproportionately compared to other teams. Our pace during the sprint race was significantly slower than what we achieved earlier, and we need to figure out why we experienced such a drastic drop in performance when conditions deteriorated.”
The reigning world champion highlighted that the lack of grip was compounding the issues with top-end speed. “We can’t fully utilize the power we have because our mechanical grip is considerably low. While our one-lap performance might seem acceptable, during the race, we face substantial obstacles. The spot where Alex passed me is undeniably a place where overtaking should be impossible,” he pointed out.
“Or at least, that’s what I thought,” Quartararo added with a wry smile. “I’ve never overtaken anyone in my entire career in such a manner. This is precisely where we are struggling; we can’t really exploit the power we possess.”
Looking ahead to the race day, Quartararo anticipated that the grip on the track would likely deteriorate further, leading him to assess his chances as quite slim. He predicted that most riders would opt for the more durable medium rear tire instead of the softer compound that had proven more effective earlier in the weekend.
“To be completely honest, I don’t think we can be overly optimistic for tomorrow. After the Moto2 race, when everyone starts with the medium rear tire, the grip will be reduced significantly. It’s undoubtedly a challenging situation for us. However, as always, we’ll strive to do our best and aim to enjoy the race,” he concluded.
As race day approached, Quartararo’s reflections serve as a reminder of the complexities and unpredictability inherent in motorsport. The balance of power, grip, and tire strategy will play critical roles in determining the outcome of the race, and Quartararo, with his keen awareness of the challenges, is prepared to navigate the hurdles ahead in pursuit of a competitive performance.
