Fabio Quartararo was typically open about his disappointment with his situation at Yamaha after trailing home second-last in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Unusually, the Frenchman was last of the struggling Iwata marque’s riders to cross the finish line. Speaking to Canal+ after the race, he admitted he hadn’t been digging as deep as he usually would.
“There’s really no way to look at it positively,” he said. “Honestly, I tried to push a bit in the middle of the race. But I was so close to the limit that I decided to back off a little, because there’s no point wasting that much energy for a single point.
“I chose to ease off and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Other than that, there’s not much more to say about this weekend.
“Honestly, I’m leaving here very disappointed with the job we’ve done, and to be completely honest, I’m glad this weekend is over.”
The mini-renaissance Quartararo experienced at Le Mans earlier this month appears to have been forgotten after two poor weekends in Catalunya and now Italy.
Although the move has not been officially announced, Quartararo is understood to have signed a contract with Honda for next year. The knowledge that he is moving on after what appears to be a lost season clearly showed in his other comments to Canal+.
“If you ask me today, the motivation isn’t there anymore,” he remarked. “That said, I know that when we get to other circuits, I’ll probably feel better than I did here, and it will come back.”
Next stop for Quartararo and the rest of the MotoGP circus is the Balaton Park circuit, where the Yamaha rider caused an accident at the start of the sprint last year. The race in Hungary takes place this weekend.
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