A dejected Fabio Quartararo opened up on his “heartbreaking” Silverstone MotoGP race following his retirement from the lead of the race.
The Frenchman looked extremely comfortable as he cruised to a four-second lead over the rest of the field, having led every lap since the second restart.
But on Lap 12, his rear height device on his Yamaha was stuck in its engaged position, resulting in retirement for the 2021 champion.
A teary-eyed Quartararo described the events as “heartbreaking” considering the choice of strategy and the chaos that ensued.
“I knew the medium [front tyre] for us was clearly not an option because yesterday [in the Sprint] we finished quite well with the front but really bad with the rear,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I knew that to go fast today, I had to brake like hell and this is what I did from the first lap – braking super-late, don’t use so much the rear tyre.
“I managed in a really good way because one lap Bezzecchi took me four tenths or three tenths and the next lap, I just responded and could ride really well.
“But we had an issue with the device that remained blocked on the rear and it’s a big shame because I never felt that good since a long time ago and everything was under control.”
Fabio Quartararo unsure when Yamaha will be this competitive again
Quartararo’s last victory in the premier class arrived at the Sachsenring in 2022, but he can take confidence from the Yamahas performance for the future races.
“Of course it gives me hope,” he said.
“But f*ck it’s so sh*t what happened to day because we improved the bike and when everything is going in a good way we know we are fast.
“We are coming back, I don’t know when will be the next time, but there will be tracks where we will struggle more, there will be tracks like here when we went fast. So, we are on a good way.”
He revealed what his friend Thomas Maubant had said to him, as footage showed Maubant comforting him in the paddock upon his return.
“He’s my best friend and he’s the one that knows me the best,” Quartararo revealed.
“He was just telling me that today I was clearly the fastest and it was a long time [since this happened].
“It was a little bit [of] our life in reverse: I made the first pole in Jerez and I broke the [gear shifter], then this happens now.”
