Fabio Quartararo suffered a devastating heartbreak at the British Grand Prix as the Yamaha rider was forced to retire from the lead with a mechanical failure.
The 2021 MotoGP champion grabbed his third consecutive pole position at Silverstone, beating Alex Marquez by over three tenths of a second. However, the Yamaha rider has not been able to convert his pace on Saturday into a win on Sunday.
Quartararo has not won a race since the 2022 German Grand Prix. He finished second behind Marquez at Jerez, before crashing out of his home race at Le Mans in the tricky weather conditions.
Securing pole at the British Grand Prix, the Frenchman capitalised on Ducati’s struggles in the cold conditions to build a gap out in front. However, disaster struck on lap 12 with a ride height device failure.
Entering turn six, the device engaged on his VZR-M1 and was stuck in position. Quartararo relinquished the lead to eventual winner Marco Bezzecchi before being forced to retire in heartbreaking fashion.
‘Senior Yamaha figures’ are ‘all’ saying Fabio Quartararo is performing at the best they have ever seen him
Quartararo was inconsolable after the race as he broke down in tears in his media debrief. The retirement will be hard to get over, especially when a victory was almost certain for the 26-year-old.
But Yamaha are keeping a positive outlook on things. The Frenchman has shown stronger pace than the Ducatis and challenged them for wins, and the manufacturer were quick to recognise that at Silverstone.
Speaking via the Paddock Pass Podcast, journalist David Emmett spoke to ‘senior Yamaha figures’ at the track. They were ‘all’ saying that this was the best they had seen from Quartararo.
“Fabio Quartararo is riding at an incredible level at the moment. He’s just… perhaps some of the best I’ve seen him in a long time, certainly since his championship year,” he said.
“And like I said, I talked to a couple of senior Yamaha figures and they all said the same thing. Fabio is riding so well, so good.
“This is the best that they’ve seen and they get to see him sort of close up and they get to see what he’s really doing.
“I think, also because he can see the progress that the project is making. He can see that the bike is getting better and that has really motivated him and he’s riding back where he can be.
“This is the Fabio Quartararo who’s earning the 10 or 12 million that he’s getting a year.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
Fabio Quartararo is not far away from his breakthrough victory in 2025
Silverstone is the second race in a row where the Yamaha rider has crashed out after starting from pole. Quartararo must dust himself off and keep his head high heading into the next race at Aragon.
The 26-year-old’s retirement has seen Bezzecchi leapfrog him in the standings, while Honda’s Johann Zarco has pulled further away with his second consecutive podium. Quartararo’s points tally does not reflect his performances, and he is determined to rectify that.
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Points |
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Ducati | 196 |
| 2 | Alex Marquez | Gresini | 172 |
| 3 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 124 |
| 4 | Franco Morbidelli | VR46 | 98 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | LCR | 97 |
| 6 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 | 88 |
| 7 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia | 69 |
| 8 | Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 59 |
| 9 | Pedro Acosta | KTM | 58 |
| 10 | Fermin Aldeguer | Gresini | 56 |
Quartararo insists he is ‘not stupid’ after his Yamaha dropped dramatically in pace during the Sprint at Silverstone, finishing down in P7. He knows what the YZR-M1 is capable of and he can see the potential in the project at Yamaha.
Quartararo ‘really’ liked seeing three Yamaha riders in Q2 at Silverstone, as teammate Alex Rins and Pramac rider Jack Miller made it straight through in free practice. The Japanese outfit have taken a huge step forward in 2025; they just need to capitalise on their pace on Sunday.
