Quartararo Sees Light at the End of the Tunnel with P5 in Emilia Romagna Practice, Rins Sidelined with Illness

Fabio Quartararo’s fifth-place finish signals "a glimmer of hope," according to Rins, who noted his condition deteriorated. Massimo Meregalli expressed, "Observing the outcomes of our hard work and a hint of hope ahead greatly boosts our morale."

Fabio Quartararo surpassed his previous qualifying speed at the San Marino MotoGP, clocking in under 1 minute and 31 seconds to unexpectedly secure fifth position during Friday's practice session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The rider from France, who equaled Yamaha's top Grand Prix performance of the year by finishing seventh at the same Misano track a fortnight earlier, achieved a significant improvement, moving from a fastest lap of 1 minute 31.581 seconds on medium tires to 1 minute 30.886 seconds using a new medium front and soft rear tire setup.

Quartararo ended up 0.6 seconds off the pace, trailing just the Ducatis at the forefront of the world championship, ridden by Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, and Enea Bastianini.

"Quartararo expressed, "Achieving fifth place was the highest we could aim for today. Those ahead are evidently playing in a different league."

"We put in our maximum effort, and I managed to pull off a great lap. I believe there's room for a slight improvement, though the competitor ahead of me has a nearly three-tenths of a second advantage. Nevertheless, we've successfully claimed our position in Q2.

"I aimed to break into the 1'30s, and achieving that target today was fantastic. I believe we can progress a bit further tomorrow, though after spending numerous days on this track, the room for improvement is quite limited."

"Our bicycle doesn't perform well on straight paths, making it challenging to compete, but I'll put in my utmost effort just as I did in both the San Marino GP Sprint and Race. I believe we have the speed.

"Our aim for tomorrow is to secure a position within the range of 6th to 9th place. We're hopeful to reach this target."

However, Quartararo minimized the significance of any significant advancement.

"He elaborated on the adjustments made, noting, 'The configuration at the front was slightly altered. We opted for a new engine; however, it's not one that significantly enhances performance, rather it facilitates a smoother ride. And that's about all. There's nothing particularly extraordinary.'"

Despite the challenges, team leader Massimo Meregalli praised Quartararo's performance as a significant achievement for the team. He highlighted the team's dedication throughout the season and their efforts during the recent Misano Test.

Witnessing the rewards of our hard work and a glimpse of hope on the horizon greatly inspires us.

"Fabio is performing exceptionally well, and we are committed to maintaining this forward momentum into tomorrow's qualifying and the Sprint."

This afternoon, Quartararo was the sole Yamaha rider on the track, as his teammate Alex Rins, who finished at the bottom in the morning session, opted out because of a fever.

"Rins expressed his dismay at not being able to ride this afternoon, mentioning, "Regrettably, I've been under the weather since yesterday."

Initially, I experienced a slight fever and was optimistic about my recovery. However, my health declined further today, prompting me to avoid taking any undue chances.

"Now I'm going to take a break, hoping to recover by tomorrow to resume my activities on the track."

"Meregalli expressed complete support for Alex's decision to miss today's practice session due to his fever. He conveyed the team's wishes for Alex's quick recovery, hoping he can rejoin them in the garage tomorrow."

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