Fabio Quartararo responds to Yamaha's new tag as MotoGP dark horse
“It’s too difficult to set a goal”
Fabio Quartararo says he has “no targets” for the 2025 MotoGP season despite a positive winter testing period for Yamaha as “we are still in as situation where we are improving”.
After suffering its second winless season in a row in 2024, Yamaha appears to have hit the ground running with its 2025 challenger across the Sepang shakedown and two official pre-season tests over the past month.
Quartararo ended the Buriram test eighth on the combined timesheets, while the Frenchman put in an encouraging sprint simulation on Thursday in Thailand.
Yamaha’s strong winter form has prompted some, including Ducati, to consider the Japanese marque and Quartararo rivals for the coming season.
But the 2021 world champion remains cautions of setting expectations ahead of the new campaign.
“I have no targets, no goals, nothing,” he said.
“So, for me, right now it’s too difficult to set a goal because we are still in the part where we have to improve.
“We have to think that at the moment we are in a situation where we are still improving.
“I think that the goals will be set just before the sprint race and just before the race.
“I think it’s better to set the goals when we feel already more or less where we are.”
Fabio Quartararo explains tyre issue
Quartararo has struggled with the front tyres Michelin brought to the Buriram test, with this persisting on Thursday.
“I think Sepang the conditions were different,” he said when asked if the gap to the front was more than he expected.
“And also the difference here is that I didn’t have a great front feeling, and I think two, three tenths - especially on the time attack - went away in this area.
“Then, on the pace I think, that like Malaysia, I think that three tenths of the sprint simulation we were slower.
“And I think here three, four tenths slower than the top guys.
“So, yes, I think it’s quite similar to what I expected here. Just the time attack I expected to be faster because I didn’t expect to have not a good feeling on the front.”
The Frenchman also noted that Yamaha has yet to improve its rear traction problems, but has gained on top speed with its 2025 bike.
“We didn’t improve on the traction grip, unfortunately.
“We improved on the top speed, which is something that we really need.
“Then, like I said, we missed corner speed with the front which is where we were struggling. So, hopefully we can have it here during the race weekend.”
