What a pity. On a track that was not very successful for him, Fabio Quartararo had the opportunity to move directly into Q2 this Friday in Australia. But instead, his missing teammate in Motegi will be there! Obviously, “El Diablo” can always try to get there through Q1, but the competition promises to be tough, with, in particular, Enea Bastianini very poorly ranked during Practice. The Frenchman is prey to vibrations, but does not despair in the least.
It was not the dream Friday for Fabio Quartararo, because we know that this 11th place on Friday is the most frustrating of all, the one that can turn an entire weekend upside down.
« It was a very complicated sessionI was quite upset because we lost time because of my repeated passes through the pits. On this track, it takes many laps to find the limit. In the end, we were close to Q2 and I felt pretty good” he declared at the end of the only session contested today in Australia.
In Japan, Yamaha was in great difficulty. The lack of performance of the YZR-M1 had been somewhat made up for by the intrinsic talent of the 2021 MotoGP world champion. Here, it’s a little different. « I feel better than in Japan. However, we absolutely must improve the last sector, and especially the last turn. » he added. The vibrations that we could see were incredible, Ijudge for yourself:
Tomorrow promises to be a busy day, but whatever happens, “El Diablo” is rather optimistic. «
If it doesn’t rain, the grip might be better for us, that could help us. I think we have a chance to get to Q2, and why not try to hook the third line. » he concluded.
Photo :
Michelin Motorsport
Massimo Meregalli, the team’s team manager, said on this subject: « After missing 45 minutes of crucial time in FP1, we knew there was work to do this afternoon and that the time attack in practice would be very tight. We tried to make the best use of the dry track time available to prepare for a very intense test session. In the end, there wasn’t much difference between Alex’s time and Fabio’s, just 0.015 seconds, but that’s what made the difference between a direct Q2 berth and obligatory to participate in Q1. But we think Fabio has his chances tomorrow in Q1. Knowing that it is in sector 4 that we need to improve the most, we will study today’s data and try to get as close to the limit as possible. We’re just hoping that conditions will be dry tomorrow so that we can strive for the best possible grid positions in qualifying, and also so that the fans at the circuit can enjoy a full day of action on the track. »
Do you think Fabio will be able to get his place in Q2? Tell us in the comments!
Result of Practice at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix:
Ranking credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
