Flat tire, ear ringing – Quartararo reveals unbelievable truth after failing to score any points in Mugello Sprint

Fabio Quartararo’s challenging 2025 MotoGP season continued on a sour note at Mugello, where the Frenchman dropped from the front row to 10th place in Saturday’s Sprint Race, failing to score points and expressing growing concern about technical instability, severe tyre degradation, and mysterious chatter on his Yamaha.

Despite starting from a promising second-row grid position, Quartararo quickly faded as the laps ticked by, overtaken by more competitive machinery and left wondering what went wrong. Once again, Yamaha finds itself far off the pace and with few answers heading into Sunday’s main race.

Chatter and Grip Woes Plague the #20 Machine

After the race, Quartararo explained to MotoGP.com that his biggest problem wasn’t his body — despite partially dislocating his left shoulder in Friday practice — but rather the unpredictable and violent chatter that plagued his bike throughout the 11-lap sprint.

“Feeling a bit sore, of course, but basically the biggest issue we had is chatter, a lot of chatter,” Quartararo said. “Actually, we don’t really know why.”

Chatter — the high-frequency vibration that disrupts tire contact and front-end stability — is a nightmare for any rider, but especially on a track like Mugello, where high-speed stability and corner entry feel are critical. Quartararo admitted that the team had anticipated some grip loss, but the extent of the problem was far worse than expected.

“Grip, performance… we knew there was going to be a drop, but I didn’t expect that much.”

Shoulder Injury Not the Main Problem

While Friday’s crash and subsequent shoulder dislocation may have raised eyebrows, Quartararo was quick to dismiss physical limitations as the reason for his performance drop. The 2021 world champion made it clear that the problem was mechanical, not personal.

“It’s sore, but not the issue today. It was the bike,” he clarified.

In fact, the level of degradation and chatter led Quartararo to sound the alarm about Sunday’s race — suggesting that unless Yamaha finds a quick solution overnight, finishing the full-distance Grand Prix may not even be possible.

“Hopefully we can improve tomorrow because if it starts from this lap then we cannot basically finish the race, so it’s going to be quite difficult,” he said.

The Only Yamaha in the Top 10 — But That’s Not Saying Much

Despite the disappointing result, Quartararo still emerged as Yamaha’s top performer, finishing 10th in a race that saw no other Yamaha in the top 12. Miguel Oliveira, who rides for the satellite Trackhouse Racing Yamaha squad, came home 13th, while Jack Miller, another Yamaha rider experimenting with setups, finished a distant 16th after gambling on a hard front tyre that never worked.

Alex Rins, meanwhile, saw his promising race ruined after a lap four incident with Jack Miller dropped him from 10th to 18th. The cumulative results paint a bleak picture for the manufacturer that once dominated the sport with riders like Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

“Behind us was a rookie and two test riders,” Quartararo noted bluntly. “We are far from the competition.”

That statement — part frustration, part brutal honesty — encapsulates Yamaha’s position right now: firmly in MotoGP’s second tier, with only glimpses of competitiveness and no sustained development to match rivals like Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia.

Technical Confusion Still Reigns

The most alarming part of Quartararo’s Saturday wasn’t just his finish — it was his lack of understanding about why it happened. Chatter is notoriously hard to diagnose and fix. It can stem from tyres, suspension geometry, swingarm flexibility, or even brake settings. But Quartararo and his crew had no clear explanation after the race, even after combing through data.

“We don’t really know why,” he said, echoing the same line multiple times.

This kind of uncertainty is what frustrates riders the most. It’s one thing to be beaten with a known setup weakness or a strategy mistake. But being completely in the dark, especially after solid pace in qualifying, only deepens the worry heading into Sunday.

What’s Happening to Yamaha?

This race is just the latest in a growing pattern of underwhelming performances from Yamaha in 2025. The bike remains difficult to ride, especially over race distance, and lacks the rear grip and acceleration needed to compete on high-speed tracks like Mugello.

There’s no clear fix in sight, either. Engineers are trying different chassis configurations, electronics maps, and suspension tweaks, but Quartararo has repeatedly said that development is moving too slowly — and not always in the right direction.

At this point, Yamaha’s primary goal isn’t winning races — it’s surviving them.

Miguel Oliveira’s Reaction: Looking to Assen

Miguel Oliveira, who has become Yamaha’s quiet barometer this season in the Trackhouse squad, also struggled in the Sprint, finishing 13th. But the Portuguese rider tried to stay optimistic.

“Assen could be different if it’s cooler,” Oliveira told reporters, pointing to the upcoming Dutch TT as a better opportunity for the bike to perform.

His comment underscores how track conditions now play a bigger role than ever in Yamaha’s competitiveness — a sign that the bike is on a knife’s edge between workable and unrideable.

Jack Miller and Alex Rins: Different Problems, Same Outcome

Jack Miller’s Sprint was a calculated risk that backfired. Choosing the hard front tyre in hopes of gaining an edge in the closing laps, Miller was left with cold rubber that offered no confidence. He faded to 16th without putting up a fight.

“It didn’t work. That’s on me,” Miller admitted post-race.

Alex Rins, meanwhile, was entangled in a lap four incident with Miller, dropping out of the points entirely. For Rins — who has flashed glimpses of brilliance in qualifying this season — the drop-off on race day continues to be a pattern.

These varied struggles among Yamaha’s four riders only further highlight how lost the manufacturer is in the current technical arms race.

A Bleak Forecast for Sunday’s Race

If Saturday’s Sprint is any indication, Sunday’s full Grand Prix could be a war of attrition for Yamaha. With Quartararo experiencing chatter from Lap 1 and acknowledging tyre drop-off too severe to handle, it’s hard to see how any Yamaha rider finishes in the top eight — let alone contends for the podium.

The team’s only hope lies in overnight adjustments that reduce vibration, increase rear grip, and somehow deliver consistency through 23 laps of Mugello’s unforgiving terrain. But even Quartararo sounds skeptical that a fix is possible in such a short time frame.

Final Thoughts: A Star Losing Patience

Fabio Quartararo is still Yamaha’s franchise rider, but his patience is clearly wearing thin. Despite his loyalty and occasional flashes of brilliance, the 2021 champion is being dragged down by a bike that hasn’t kept up with the competition.

He’s still one of the most talented riders in the paddock, but talent means little without the tools to express it. Saturday’s Sprint was just the latest reminder that Quartararo and Yamaha are punching below their weight in 2025 — and unless something changes soon, the tension may boil over.

“We cannot finish the race like this,” he warned. “We need answers.”

The pressure is mounting — not just for results, but for clarity, leadership, and direction. And unless Yamaha delivers soon, Quartararo’s next bold move might be off the bike, not on it.