Fabio Quartararo struggles with Yamaha’s lack of grip in Thai GP

Fabio Quartararo blames Yamaha’s lack of grip for his disappointing start to the 2025 MotoGP season at the Thai Grand Prix.

Fabio Quartararo of France and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP competes during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Kaikungwon Duanjumroon/Nur

By Hayu Andini and Widya Putri

Fabio Quartararo has attributed his disappointing start to the 2025 MotoGP season to Yamaha’s persistent grip issues, saying he struggled from the very first lap of the Thai Grand Prix. Despite expectations that Yamaha would be more competitive following a promising pre-season, the French rider endured a difficult weekend at Buriram, finishing 15th in Sunday’s race.

Yamaha showed strong potential during winter testing, raising hopes for a solid start to the campaign. However, while Pramac’s Jack Miller managed to secure fourth place in qualifying and demonstrated strong pace before a loose fairing forced him to drop to 11th, the factory Yamaha squad struggled to match the frontrunners.

Quartararo qualified 10th and converted that into a seventh-place finish in the sprint, but his pace plummeted in the grand prix. He was unable to find the necessary grip and gradually fell down the order, ending the race in 15th place.

“From the beginning, we had the issue with the grip,” Quartararo said after the race. “I was struggling quite a lot… at first, I thought it was just warming up the tyre. But in the end, we checked, and on the first lap, I could not really push. I couldn’t lean the bike, the bike was just sliding.

“So, I lost a lot of positions, and unfortunately, I was not able to make a great race or show a great pace. It was quite a difficult one.”

Quartararo unhappy with Michelin tyres in Thailand

Quartararo had already expressed concerns about the tyres before the race weekend, particularly the front options Michelin brought to Buriram. During the final pre-season test, he voiced his dissatisfaction with the front compounds and the stiffer rear tyre casings, which ultimately worked against Yamaha’s performance in Thailand.

For the grand prix, Quartararo had to use the hard front tyre as the soft option did not suit his braking style.

“Yeah, the soft front collapses, and already I was struggling with the hard,” he explained. “The rear didn’t help us this race. Especially in this race, the soft should have helped at the beginning, but it didn’t.”

This tyre limitation compounded Yamaha’s ongoing struggles with rear grip, an issue that has plagued the team in recent seasons. Quartararo’s difficulties in Thailand have raised concerns ahead of the next round in Argentina, where the Termas de Río Hondo circuit is known for its low-grip surface.

Argentina GP a test for Yamaha’s rear grip problems

Yamaha’s lack of rear grip could be a significant problem at the Argentina Grand Prix, given the typically dirty track conditions at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit. Quartararo remains cautious about his chances but hopes that returning to the standard rear tyre casing will provide some relief.

“It’s going to be difficult for us,” he admitted. “Everything with low grip at the moment is quite complicated, but let’s see with different tyres also.

“But I think the casing will be the same as normal, and this will also help us.”

With Yamaha still struggling to find a solution to its grip issues, Quartararo faces an uphill battle in the coming rounds. The team will need to make significant improvements if they hope to challenge the top riders in the 2025 MotoGP season.

More from MotoGP coverage

• Marco Bezzecchi admits he is paying the price for a lack of time attack runs in MotoGP testing as he adapts to Aprilia’s riding demands.
• Jack Miller fights through fairing trouble to finish as top M1 rider in Buriram.
• Marc Marquez delivers an emphatic victory at the Thailand Grand Prix, leading a Marquez brothers one-two finish in his first race with Ducati.