Fabio Quartararo, current MotoGP champion, had a disappointing performance in the first round of the season. Despite committing his future to Yamaha until 2026, Quartararo finished 15th in the sprint and 12th in the grand prix. In contrast, his former teammate, Maverick Vinales, now riding for Aprilia, dominated the sprint and won the grand prix. However, Quartararo is focused on improving his Yamaha M1 and is not concerned about the immediate race results. Yamaha’s offer to Quartararo far exceeded what Aprilia could offer, and Quartararo was also influenced by the investment Yamaha plans for the future. Although there is still work to be done, Quartararo is optimistic about the direction Yamaha is taking. The team will use their new concession status to conduct extensive testing in the coming weeks, both with test rider Cal Crutchlow and Quartararo himself. Quartararo believes that, step by step, they will make improvements and continue to learn from the new aerodynamic package they are using this year.
