MotoGP Brno Day 1, Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha/14) positive: "It's better than the last two Grands Prix!"

After two very difficult Grands Prix in Italy and Hungary, Fabio Quartararo returned to racing in Brno. And the first day went rather well! This morning, the Frenchman was second in FP1, just behind Marc Marquez. It was a bit more challenging this afternoon, where he could only manage 14th, which meant he would advance to Q1. While he still points to the difficulties Yamaha is facing, he remains hopeful.

Fabio Quartararo already seems more motivated on the Czech hills as well as on the last encounters, and that's a pleasure to see. “I already feel better than I did in the last two Grand Prix. It was very complicated in Hungary and at Mugello, and if I feel good, I'll try to push as hard as possible.Yes, we're far behind. But it's not too bad. My best lap was decent. Okay, but we're slow, especially on the straights. We don't have any extra power anymore; we absolutely have to find a solution. I gave it my all, and we're two tenths of a second away from 10th place." he declared to our microphones.

 

 

The circuit doesn't really favor the Yamaha, but he comes out reasonably far ahead, well ahead of the other riders from the tuning fork company. "The last turn is quite tricky, it's the biggest difficulty. But the track offers good grip, which is positive; it can close the gaps and, above all, help us." he added

Quartararo regains his motivation in Brno

 

 

He tried practicing starts without the holeshot device, since discussions aimed at removing it have never been more heated. While there's much talk of a complete overhaul of this crucial phase of the race, the drivers have to adapt. "It was really weird. We got used to it, but on my first try, I almost stalled the motorcycle." We still need to practice getting rid of it, but we'll get used to it again. We need to remember how we did it four years ago.This forces us to adopt a completely different strategy. Sometimes, depending on the circuit, we should remove the holeshot device, like at Silverstone or Phillip Island, where it's really dangerous. As for the rest, we'll have to see. » he continued on this subject.

There's also talk of a starting grid with only two bikes per row, compared to the current three. Quartararo isn't keen on the idea. "Having rows of two will create gaps, I don't think it can change much. In general, we should have more time to train and prepare for what's coming." he concluded.

In your opinion, can Fabio Quartararo be the surprise package in Brno? Tell us in the comments!

Results of the Practice session at the 2026 Czech MotoGP Grand Prix:

 

 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport