Quartararo and the crisis: those long faces that are not good for him or for Yamaha

First French King of MotoGP in 2021 and first rider from beyond the Alps awarded with the Legion of Honour, Fabio Quartararo he interrupted the era of Spanish domination in the premier class, however failing to do a repeat in 2022, despite winning three races, four second places and a third, burnt out by Pecco Bagnaia’s overwhelming finish on the Ducati-missile. Then, in 2023, the lost compass, in a season so far with only four third places and many, too many, negative performances caused a Yamaha no longer able to keep up with the best, crashing into the tunnel. Thus, given the current levels of competitiveness, Quartararo’s has become, race after race, a fight against “windmills”, in any case an unequal fight, where the same podiums achieved were the result of the former world champion’s intact handle and also the misfortune of other drivers.

determination

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Fabio never gave up, he demonstrated several times on the track that he had not lost his talent nor his determination. How can we fail to remember, among others, the Sprint Race at Le Mans, with 8 overtakings worth mentioning, a race pace and “front row” times, a comeback which earned applause unfortunately did not end due to a fall after losing the front when it was already seventh behind the trio of Marquez, Marini and Bagnaia? The French champion almost always tried to make up for the power and speed limits of his Yamaha. However, he became increasingly discouraged, more and more intently in the garage, convinced that with “this” M1 you can’t win and, what’s worse, there is no future. A situation, apparently with no way out.

free rein

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Quartararo, in his fifth season with Yamaha, has abandoned his way of being a rider capable of facing even the negative phases with serenity, increasingly giving vent to his dissatisfaction, freeing his tongue which, after tests and races, hammers inexorably against his motorbike, an attack against the manufacturer which nevertheless led him to the MotoGP title. Fabio’s position is understandable. Doubts, however, about his legitimacy and, above all, about his convenience because he adds tension to tension in the garage and creates disorientation in the management staff regarding what to do, technically and not only, especially regarding next season and the future. Fabio’s continuous long faces in the garage, the continuous heavily negative phrases about the M1 repeated in front of the media, press and TV, are not only damaging to the image of a company that has nevertheless brought him to the top of the world with benefits, including economic ones, of no small importance, but they also reflect negatively on himself, because it is precisely in difficulties that a champion must demonstrate that he believes in the possibility of relaunching by not throwing more fuel on the fire.

sense of measure

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Quartararo, unlike Marc Marquez in more or less the same situation, seems to lack a sense of proportion even in legitimate criticism. The touch of elegance is missing, which never hurts and makes the difference not only on the track, and perhaps the sense of respect for those who work for him is also missing a little. In other eras, great champions in difficulty, even for long periods, with motorcycles from large manufacturers, never allowed themselves to criticize their own vehicle, i.e. the manufacturer, so heavily. To tell the truth, there are those who have done it, with an immediate conclusion: dismissal. It’s important to win races and titles, but it’s also important to know how to deal with negative phases with composure and realism, when other riders, perhaps inferior in handling, strip you on the straight. What should Yamaha have said last year, when Fabio, with a 91 point lead, threw away the MotoGP world championship at the end?