Le Mans reignites Quartararo and Yamaha: Barcelona will be a moment of truth

Positive signs from Yamaha over the Le Mans weekend; the French rider appreciated the progress: Barcelona will be an important proving ground.

For Fabio Quartararo, the French Grand Prix is obviously something special: racing in front of so many of his fellow countrymen always gives an extra boost. This year he arrived at Le Mans with very low expectations, given a very complicated start to the 2026 MotoGP season due to a non-competitive Yamaha M1. Despite less-than-ideal premises, it turned out to be the best weekend of the year: sixth fastest in qualifying, fifth in the sprint race, and sixth in the long race.

Next weekend the action moves to Barcelona, and it will be the chance to see whether this was a one-off or if there has been a concrete improvement in the technical package. Also remember that on Monday, May 18, there will be a test day right in Catalonia, another chance to improve.

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The 2021 MotoGP world champion finally appeared smiling after the race at Le Mans, something that hadn’t happened in a while: "I gave it my all," he told Motosan. "The level of risk I took to hold my position was extremely high. But I think we had a good race. As I always say, position is just a number. At Jerez we finished 29 seconds behind Álex Márquez; this time it was 7 seconds behind Martín. That’s what I focus on the most: the gap, how close we are to the best. From that point of view, the weekend was positive."

The Jerez test likely helped take a few steps forward. Quartararo emphasizes that his feeling on the bike was satisfying, something that happened for the first time in 2026: "It had been a while since I felt this positive, even if we know our bike’s potential is still low. But I managed to push 100% and I had a lot of fun, especially in the first laps when the group was compact and it was easier to try overtakes."

Can he be more optimistic after the French Grand Prix? The Monster Energy Yamaha rider doesn’t want to get carried away, but he does feel the M1 has taken a small step compared to previous rounds and believes he can confirm it in the next ones: "I wouldn’t say I’m optimistic; it’s more a matter of confidence, because for me the bike has improved slightly. We’ll see on other tracks, but I’m sure I can push hard. In the first four laps I managed to stay in the leading positions, and that’s a big difference. At Jerez, in time attack, I was far from my best time of 2025, whereas this weekend I was just four tenths off. I’d say we can be happy; I’m starting to understand the bike’s limits better."

The Iwata manufacturer is working on multiple areas to try to improve the M1, but Quartararo and his team have focused mainly on one, getting encouraging feedback: "We always try to get the best performance with the setup. Until we have a better package, we won’t change the bike much. At the moment, I prefer to focus mainly on the electronics. We worked on it a lot. It’s harder for me to keep control with less electronic intervention, but it went well. We still have to improve several aspects, especially from the third to the sixth lap: we need more grip and much more besides."

The original article with the interview in Spanish on Motosan.es

Seeing some progress certainly helps the French rider’s morale, as before Le Mans he was very down about Yamaha’s overall situation. He was aware he would be facing a season not in line with his desire to always fight for podiums and wins, but he at least hoped to see a project in constant growth. Until the French GP there was no light at the end of the tunnel, and it must be said that he didn’t hold back with negative comments, also drawing some criticism for perhaps going too far at times.

It’s true that if the M1 isn’t competitive he can’t say otherwise, but perhaps on some occasions he could have been more “delicate.” The Iwata manufacturer is carrying out a brand-new project, having never raced in MotoGP with a V4 engine before, and it was hard to imagine they could immediately be at the front. It was fair to expect something better anyway, but unfortunately the reality was different. The Diablo’s future is already set: in 2027–2028 he will race in Honda HRC colors, but first he must give his utmost for the development of the bike he is currently riding.