Fabio Quartararo penalized by dashboard alert in Austin

The 2025 Grand Prix of the Americas got off to a chaotic start for fabio quartararoDuring the reconnaissance lap, the difficult weather conditions caused an unexpected fall for the Frenchman.

Even before the start, the damage forced him to change his machine. During the great confusion that preceded the start of the race, Fabio Quartararo was therefore more worried than the others.

So it all started on a bad note for Quartararo, who is unable to explain the incident. "I don't understand why I crashed on the grid lap. I was practically straight, the tarmac seemed quite dry, and I wasn't even pushing, but I lost the front. It was a strange crash."

“It was my first fall of the year, and the first in a long time, continues the 2021 world champion. I then went to the starting grid. I was on wet tires during the first start procedure, and it was a mess. Then the start was delayed. My first bike was damaged anyway, so I had to use my second bike.

The bike he started the race on did not have the same parts or the same settings as the one he intended to use. “The one I rode had a different chassis and swingarm… But overall we had a good weekend, especially the Sprint, and hopefully we'll have better luck in the next race.”

ALSO READ > Alex Marquez proud to display flawless consistency: "Being second pays off"

An unexpected alert for Quartararo

Despite these early complications, Quartararo made a solid start from 11th on the grid. He quickly moved up to 7th in the opening laps and found himself in the group fighting for 5th place, as he had been the day before in the Sprint.

However, an abnormal warning on his dashboard penalized him, dropping him to 14th place. He was finally able to take advantage of the numerous crashes ahead of him to move up to tenth position and grab valuable points.

Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli was keen to praise the Frenchman's performance, recalling all the difficulties he encountered. "Fabio raced on a hybrid bike: a mix of dry and wet settings. We weren't sure what was going to happen. On top of that, it seems he received an unusual notification on his dashboard, which forced him to ride in low-power mode."

With this 10th place, Fabio Quartararo moves up to 12th in the overall standings with 16 points. Yamaha, meanwhile, sits in 7th place in the team standings with 26 points and remains the fifth-placed manufacturer with 28 points. Despite this, Massimo Meregalli remains optimistic and happy with the recent progress: "We're seeing some improvement in Yamaha. It's important and we'll try to take advantage of it for the next GP in Qatar." The Qatar Grand Prix in two weeks will be an opportunity for Quartararo and Yamaha to bounce back after this tumultuous weekend.