Although he did not achieve any podium during the season for the first time since his arrival in the premier category in 2019, Fabio Quartararo was able to see the progress of his bike and the changes implemented in his team to reverse the trend.
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A complicated season
The decline continued in 2024 for Fabio Quartararo: world champion in 2021 then vice-world champion in 2022, the Frenchman fell to 10e place in the hierarchy in 2023 before sinking until the 13the rank this season.
While he managed to secure three podiums last year, he won none in 2024 and he did not even record any Top 5 in Grand Prix, his best result being a sixth place at the front -last round in Malaysia.
Yet, ” The devil » had extended his contract with Yamaha for two years, until the end of 2026, in April and was not disturbed by the uncertainties concerning his future.
“The season has been complicated and frustrating. There are races where I could have done a little better, but in the end it wouldn't have changed much. There is a big gap, a huge gap with Ducati so even if I had done everything perfectly I would have finished in the same position,” said the Nice native.
An encouraging end to the year
Looking at the numbers as a whole, the outlook may seem dire, but on closer inspection, the Yamaha's performance clearly improved from September and the two races in Misano (Italy), where the manufacturer made improvements to his machine.
During the first 12 races, Fabio Quartararo scored 51 points, or 4.25 per weekend on average, and in the last 8, he scored 62 points, or 7.75 per round. Even if it is still too low, the progress is clear.
During the Asian tour, the 25-year-old Frenchman was sometimes able to fight with some Ducatis and keep up with the best, which was impossible for him in the spring.
“I was expecting developments much more quickly but they are coming little by little and are working so it’s really positive. The work is starting to pay off and we are moving in the right direction,” said the native of Nice.
The end of season tests on Tuesday, where the riders will try the prototype of the 2025 Motorcycle, will allow us to see if the Japanese firm's progress is confirmed.
Reasons to believe
“We especially lack grip and power and the last engine we tested was more powerful,” Quartararo explained. The straight line deficit with European motorcycles could therefore be reduced and allow Yamaha to be more competitive.
The organization of the team has also evolved with more and more people working in Italy in order to accelerate responsiveness instead of designing everything in Japan.
“The ideas are there. We have more ideas than time to try things so that's really positive. And when we try things, we feel that the direction is clearer and more sensible than in the past,” rejoiced the Nice resident.
Furthermore, Yamaha will once again benefit from a satellite team in 2025 and therefore four riders to test new products, provide feedback to engineers and collect data. The Pramac team will indeed join the fold of the Japanese brand two years after the departure of RNF, now Trackhouse, at Aprilia.
With the arrival of three novices and the numerous transfers, many drivers should need a period of adaptation to be efficient, which could also benefit Quartararo, who has focused on continuity. Everything seems to come together for the Japanese manufacturer and the French driver to return to the forefront.
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