Fabio Quartararo sees a major opportunity for Yamaha in this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, with several leading MotoGP riders absent from the race.
Newly crowned 2025 champion Marc Marquez will miss the next two rounds at Phillip Island and Sepang, having broken his shoulder in a nasty crash with Marco Bezzecchi at the Indonesian Grand Prix.
But Marquez won’t be the only other competitor out of action, with Aprilia’s star rider Jorge Martin and Tech3 KTM ace Maverick Vinales also not making the trip to Australia due to their own injuries.
Furthermore, Bezzecchi has been hit with a double long-lap penalty for causing the collision that left Marquez with a fracture, potentially taking another contender out of the victory fight in Sunday’s race.
Quartararo feels it will be important for him to capitalise on the situation at Phillip Island, as he chases a first Sunday podium since the Spanish Grand Prix in April.
“As soon as I have an opportunity, I always go for it,” said the 2021 MotoGP champion. “And I know that at least for the next two races, if there is one guy in front of me, that will be a problem.
“My goal is to be as fast as possible. We know that Marc is always in front of us, this year and last year. So, if we finish P4 [in a regular race], and we know that there is one guy less [this time], maybe it’s an opportunity for us to make a great result.
“I don’t wish any bad for anybody: Jorge, Maverick and Marc. I suggest that they recover well.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Asked how the M1 will perform at the fast-flowing Phillip Island Circuit in Melbourne, Quartararo joked: “Well, I will tell you tomorrow [after practice]. It’s a surprise. It’s a surprise from the chef.
“We will see how things are going, especially with the conditions. I’m optimistic with the rear soft tyre. Hopefully we can do a great job.”
Quartararo is ready to gamble on soft tyres in Australia, having also led the British GP in May on the same compound before retiring due to a ride-height device failure.
“I hope it’s like Silverstone,” he said. “But it’s going to be quite important for us to be clever with the tyres, because on Friday when I said that I will race with the soft, it means that you are completely crazy. But for me it was the best decision.
“We know how big the step from soft to medium is in this race. And if we have to make it, the most important [thing] is to be ready for the first lap and then see how things are going.”
Quartararo wouldn’t be the first rider to take such a risk at Phillip Island, with Martin having raced with the same tyre in 2023 after qualifying his Pramac Ducati on pole position.
“It’s the same tyre actually as Martin two years ago, but the asphalt is different [after the 2024 resurfacing],” he said. ”So, I don’t know if [the resurfacing] is going to make it worse or better, but we have to be ready.”
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