Why the Portuguese GP schedule could help Fabio Quartararo

Although he has been very good in qualifying all year, fabio quartararo He too rarely capitalized on his starting grid advantage to translate it into a significant points haul in the race. The problem lies with a Yamaha that is too reliant on grip, which handicaps him in the early laps.

Nevertheless, the 2021 world champion saw this aspect change at Sepang during the last Malaysian Grand Prix. With the schedule disrupted due to the terrible accident earlier between Noah Dettwiler and José Antonio Rueda on the Moto3 formation lap, the Moto2 riders ran their race after the premier class. This change impacted the track conditions.

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©Yamaha MotoGP

With less rubber on the track, Fabio Quartararo was able to gain an advantage in the early laps, on a circuit with poor grip. Starting fourth, he maintained his position for almost half the race distance before succumbing to attacks from Joan Mir and Franco Morbidelli. After the race, he said: “Every time we start before Moto2, I can be more aggressive in the first few laps, whereas usually I lose positions at the start. This time, I was able to push a bit and manage the situation. It’s more difficult to preserve your tires when there’s no grip, but I think the track was a bit better before Moto2.”

Fabio Quartararo could regain this advantage at the next race on the calendar, the Portuguese Grand Prix. Indeed, to avoid disrupting the usual European schedules, despite the slight time difference, the race will be moved forward by one hour locally, and will therefore take place at 13:00 PM. To avoid disrupting the schedule of each category, the Moto3 race will thus be held after the MotoGP race. "It happens all the time in Portugal, it happened at Silverstone. I feel it on the first few laps, because the grip is more standard. There I was able to stay in 4th place, but then I didn't have the pace."

This change, though minor, could therefore allow Fabio Quartararo to capitalize on a good qualifying result. Especially since the rider from Nice has often achieved excellent results in Portimao, where he won in both 2021 and 2022. “Portimão is a circuit that I love,” concludes number 20, full of optimism.

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