During the MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo finished seventh while battling difficult conditions and challenging tyre management. Despite feeling the discomfort of heat from his own exhaust, the French rider was notably impressed by his teammate Alex Rins’ impressive MotoGP pace, which stood out as a highlight of the race weekend.
Quartararo Struggles With Tyres and Exhaust Heat
Fabio Quartararo began the 27-lap race in eighth position, opting for a hard front and soft rear Michelin tyre combination that he found to be the most manageable under the circumstances. Throughout the race, he prioritized preserving the soft rear tire to maintain performance, which limited his ability to overtake other riders. Riding within the pack, Quartararo encountered an additional challenge with the heat radiating from the exhaust, causing physical discomfort.
Hot. I was behind everybody and I had the exhaust on my leg, so I was burning,
Quartararo said when asked about the race.
He acknowledged the difficulty of controlling the rear tyre, especially since riders accelerated away after corners, making overtaking nearly impossible. Still, he felt his tyre management was cautious and effective enough to secure a respectable top Yamaha finish.
But I think I rode pretty well and was pretty clever with how I could manage the rear tyre.
Rins’ Strong Qualifying and Early Race Performance
Quartararo’s teammate Alex Rins showed a marked improvement, qualifying fourth—his best performance since joining Yamaha. During the race, Rins maintained a high pace early on, holding the second position for several laps while running on the same soft rear Michelin tyre as Quartararo. His speed and aggressive moves impressed observers, although his performance dropped off toward the end when his tyre degraded, leaving him to finish in tenth place.
Quartararo Acknowledges Rins’ Breakthrough Display
Quartararo closely monitored Rins’ race and expressed admiration for the pace his teammate displayed under challenging conditions. He recognized that the soft rear tyre offered significant early performance but deteriorated quickly, affecting the latter stages of the race for both riders.
I know exactly what was going on,
Quartararo said, explaining that while he was behind Rins for several laps, he could not overtake because the rear tyre performance gave Rins an edge out of corners.
Quartararo also revealed a strategic decision to conserve his tyres towards the end, even when Rins remained in second place with just seven laps remaining.
But the problem in general is when the tyre is up, it’s gone. And I think that’s what was going on.
Race Dynamics and Competitors’ Influence on Overtaking
Quartararo noted that Rins’ strong pace was partly specific to the Mandalika circuit and also aided by race incidents that allowed overtaking opportunities. He pointed out how riders like Raul Fernandez and Luca Marini had gone wide, enabling Rins to advance past them.
The Yamaha rider also highlighted the superior straight-line power of KTM machines, which was evident as Rins contested with riders like Pedro Acosta despite the challenge.
Just this place, but especially I think the way he was pushing also, also I think Raul [Fernandez] and [Luca] Marini went wide, so he could overtake both.
He was strong against Acosta, but we could clearly see the power is another level [on the KTM].
Reflections on a Tough Weekend for Quartararo
Despite his own struggles, Quartararo found value in observing Rins’ performance, which offered insights into potential areas for his own improvement. The Frenchman admitted that this weekend was among his hardest in terms of bike feel, contrasting sharply with Rins’ display of speed.
For me it was one of my worst weekends in terms of feeling, but he was super, super-fast and it was nice to see some data and see how I could improve.
The contrasting weekend performances underscore the challenges Yamaha faces as it continues adapting to tyre wear and track conditions. Quartararo’s experience combined with Rins’ promising pace could provide important data for future strategies in the championship.
