Quartararo is satisfied with his personal performance in MotoGP despite this year’s poor results

Fabio Quartararo has expressed satisfaction with his personal performance in MotoGP despite a difficult 2024 season, where he ended up in 13th place in the overall standings, his worst finish in the championship. The 2021 World Champion acknowledged that it was a tough year, as Yamaha struggled with a less competitive bike, particularly when compared to their European rivals.

A Season of Struggles but Personal Growth

While Quartararo’s results fell short of expectations, especially with no podium finishes throughout the season, he takes comfort in the progress he made on a personal level. Reflecting on the season, he emphasized that, despite the results, he had grown as a rider and had been fully committed to developing the Yamaha M1.

“In terms of riding and working with the team, I think this has been my best season,” Quartararo said during the Barcelona season finale. “In terms of results, obviously the worst. But I learned to stay calm and try to improve the bike in the best way possible. Of course, there were moments when I was really frustrated, but only for a very short time.”

The French rider pointed out that the way he and the team worked tirelessly throughout the year was commendable, even if the improvements were slower than anticipated. The progress became more visible toward the end of the season as the development work on the bike began to yield positive results.

Yamaha’s Struggles: Lack of Testing and Data

One of the key reasons for Yamaha’s difficulties in 2024, according to Quartararo, was the absence of a satellite team, which left them with only two riders to gather data. This was compounded by the absence of Cal Crutchlow for most of the season due to complications from hand surgery and Alex Rins missing several races due to injury. With so few riders to help develop the bike, Quartararo believes Yamaha was at a significant disadvantage.

“The biggest issue this year was that we lacked riders for testing and improving the bike,” Quartararo explained. “We only had two riders. Cal was injured, so we didn’t have a test rider. We were essentially operating in isolation.”

However, with Pramac joining Yamaha as a satellite team in 2025 and Augusto Fernandez joining their testing program, Quartararo is hopeful that the situation will improve significantly. He believes that having more resources and riders will help Yamaha catch up and develop their bike faster.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Despite the challenges of 2024, Quartararo is optimistic about the future. “Since Misano 2, we have seen improvements; although it hasn’t been great, at least there has been progress,” he said. He believes that with more riders and better testing capabilities, Yamaha will be in a stronger position to fight for better results next season. “We’ve only missed Q2 since Misano 1, so the progress has been there. I think next year the progress will be even faster.”

As 2025 approaches, Quartararo’s mindset is clear: while this year’s results were disappointing, his personal growth and the steps Yamaha has taken give him confidence that better days are ahead. He remains committed to achieving more success and is determined to help Yamaha reach its full potential.