Fabio Quartararo: “I can understand” if Marc Marquez moves to Gresini Ducati

• San Marino MotoGP, Misano - Friday Practice Results

Marquez reportedly agreeing a switch to the Gresini satellite team has dominated talk in the paddock at the San Marino MotoGP this weekend.

And Quartararo, much like Marquez, is a former MotoGP champion now forced to languish at the back on a Japanese manufactured bike.

The Yamaha rider was asked about the Marquez gossip and said: “I never considered it. But I can understand it. 

“I won’t go more into it. It will be fun to see.”

Asked if the move would be finalised, Quartararo said: “I don’t know. I’m not in Marc’s head. He’s the one to decide.”

Marquez and Quartararo’s current deals, with Honda and Yamaha respectively, conclude at the end of 2024.

But Marquez could engineer a swifter exit in order to join Gresini, alongside his brother.

It would leave Quartararo in a unique position, as a high-profile rider on an underperforming bike, whose contract will be in its final year in 2024.

In Friday practice at Misano, Quartararo finished 13th, a place ahead of his teammate Franco Morbidelli.

“We tried the aero twice, a new setting,” he said. “In terms of lap time, I didn’t expect to do better. This is what I expected.

“It’s a shame we [went over] track limits but, when you’re on the limit, this happens.

“The new aero, for us, was clearly the way to go to be fast for practice.”

Quartararo was asked if he’d keep the new aero on Saturday but replied: “No. It didn’t work. The feeling on the bike is totally different. 

“It can be a good option but we need a lot of time to test it. The fairing is different, much bigger. 

“We already lose a lot with power, and with us, we lose even more. 

“We made a step with the new aero but we need much more time to know that it’s working. If we are not in Q2 tomorrow, we know the race will be bad for us.”