Fabio Quartararo warns: “I don't expect a big comeback”

For the second Friday in a row, Fabio Quartararo missed out on direct access to Qualifying 2.

But while the Monster Yamaha rider was able to surge through Qualifying 1 and claim a place on the front row in Barcelona, he doubts such a comeback is possible this weekend at Misano.

The 2021 world champion finished Friday in 12th place, 0.610s from Ducati’s Marc Marquez.

Quartararo said he struggled to feel the benefit from a new soft rear tyre, while the medium rear is also giving him issues.

“Just uncomfortable with both,” said the Frenchman, who was again the top M1 rider. “We’re struggling quite a lot, but let's see what we can do tomorrow.

“I don't think we can be really satisfied about finishing P12. Also we made a day and a half of tests here in May, and we could not find a solution to our issues.”

On paper, the high-grip nature of the Misano circuit should suit the M1.

“But more than grip it’s about the unpredictable things that happen on the bike, so the confidence is not there,” Quartararo explained.

“So with the soft we have problems on the right, and with the medium on the left.

“It's really unpredictable. I have not the feeling to push. We saw Jack crash, Miguel also… A tough situation.”

Quizzed on the chances of repeating his Qualifying 1 to second place on the grid in Catalunya, Quartararo declared:

“No, in Barcelona I was positive because I knew I had the yellow flags and I couldn't make the second time attack.

“But when you don't know if you need to make the time attack with the soft or with the medium… this is a situation that never really happens.

“But no, I don't expect a big comeback. The pace is not looking so bad with the medium, but the time attack is something that we are really missing in this track.”

Pramac’s Jack Miller was the next best M1 rider, in 16th, on a day when Augusto Fernandez gave the new V4 a promising debut in 19th (+1.2s) – ahead of fellow Yamaha riders Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira.