Fabio Quartararo is treading carefully when it comes to expectations following his recent podium appearance at the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, as he noted that Yamaha has “skipped steps” in its rebuilding process. The 2021 world champion made headlines by securing pole position on Saturday, setting a new all-time lap record and ending a 1134-day wait to top qualifying.
During the grand prix on Sunday, despite experiencing a crash on the second lap after briefly leading, Quartararo managed to lead the field for the first ten of the 25 laps. After a strong performance, he concluded the race in second place, finishing behind Alex Marquez but ahead of Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia. This result marked Quartararo’s and Yamaha’s first podium finish since Indonesia 2023.
While the performance in Jerez represents a significant step forward for Yamaha’s ambitious rebuilding project, Quartararo expressed caution in interpreting this achievement as a clear indication of the bike’s potential at present. “In the past, when I used to win races, I loved to be at the front and lead the race,” Quartararo reflected. “And this is what we have done today. But the pace was not good enough to keep the first position and be fighting with Alex.”
He emphasized the importance of staying grounded, saying, “But I think, like I always say, we have to be step by step, and already I think we have skipped some during this weekend because we have not achieved one top five.” Quartararo urged a focus on sustained improvement: “We have gone straight from a great result, but straight to the podium in second position. So, we have to stay calm for the next races; if the results don’t come yet, we have to be ready to be a little bit on the back.”
Before the Spanish GP, Quartararo’s best result of the 2025 season had been seventh place, while Pramac’s Jack Miller finished fifth in a highly chaotic Americas GP. He explained that the bike he raced in Jerez had not changed from what he had used in Austin, urging Yamaha to stop frequently altering the settings. “Well, like I said, it’s the same bike as Austin,” he mentioned. “We just stopped making many set-up [changes] during a weekend, trying to not change everything, but just trying to keep the same bike and myself trying to put the bike on the limit.”
Quartararo pointed out the current limitations, stating, “Right now we don’t have anything that will make us do a step forward.” He was optimistic about the upcoming test but acknowledged the need for realistic expectations moving forward: “So, we were directly feeling good and we brought all the good moments to today. So, this is why I said we have zero expectations for the next races because it’s the same bike. But let’s see if we can bring these good moments to the next races.”
