Quartararo “never expected to be that slow, proper disaster”

Just 16th on the grid after lapping 0.449s slower than last season, Quartararo carved through to eighth on the opening lap, when red-flags were shown due to an earlier incident at Turn 2.

The 2021 world champion then knew it would be almost impossible to repeat such a feat on the restart.

“I made one of my best starts ever, best two brakings, then I overtook Dani in Turn 6,” Quartararo recalled. “I will not say it's luck, but when you do it one time, to make the same is almost impossible.

“The guys in front made a better start [the second time] so I was blocked. If I start from the 16th place, I'm not able to overtake, and this is the biggest problem.”

Quartararo finished the opening lap in 14th and - despite accidents ahead for Aleix Espargaro, Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami - was only twelfth at the finish, 7.5s behind race winner Brad Binder (KTM).

The Monster Yamaha rider spent almost the whole race trapped behind Fabio di Giannantonio’s Gresini Ducati, setting only the eleventh fastest lap.

As with qualifying, Quartararo’s best race lap was much slower (+0.774s) than he had set in the wheeltracks of race winner Francesco Bagnaia one year ago, on a day when Dani Pedrosa was just 0.258s from Bagnaia’s 2022 record.

“Tough day, especially in qualifying. I never expected to be that slow,” admitted Quartararo, who hadn't started lower than second on the grid with a MotoGP bike at Jerez.

“In the morning, with 8 or 10 laps on the tyre, I did 1'37.3. Then I put two new tyres, and I'm [only] three-tenths faster. So this was a proper disaster.

“It's not normal that you make a pace of 1'37.3, then when you put a new tyre, you should get at least minimum six tenths [faster]. But with a different [qualifying] map, different engine brake, low fuel, new tyres, you only improve three-tenths? There is something really strange.

“Four years ago, I did a 1'36 here as a rookie. I was riding not so good. And now that I'm feeling I'm a much better rider, I'm doing a 1'37.0, on the limit. So it's really difficult at the moment.

“Then in the race, as soon as we are behind one rider, we are not able to stay with them... I was behind Di Giannantonio, I had to keep at least one second of distance. That's an issue we have had for so many times.”

While Quartararo struggled for front feeling, he did not think it was due to rising tyre pressure from closely following another bike.

“This is not the problem, it's a problem of grip. The rear tyre is not so bad, but the front is … at Turn 2 [and] Turn 6, I'm not able to lean the bike.

“We are doing 1'38s mid to high, and I was feeling like I could go much faster, but I'm not able because many times I lose the front, and this was a big issue.”

Quartararo’s ongoing woes mean that last year’s Jerez title leader goes into Sunday’s main race just ninth in the championship (-31 points).

Team-mate Franco Morbidelli finished 16th in the Sprint after being involved in the red-flag incident during the initial start.