Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo had a strong start to the Gran Premio de Argentina Sprint but was unable to benefit from it in the long run. He wrapped up the 12-lap challenge in 10th place. Though Álex Rins became stronger throughout the Sprint, he finished it in the same position he started from: 12th place.
Quartararo catapulted himself from seventh to fourth before entering the first corner. However, the position was short-lived as he soon got into a battle with Pedro Acosta and Johann Zarco. The Frenchman tried to keep a contingent of charging riders at bay and defended his sixth place like a lion. He was successful for three laps but ultimately had to let them pass one by one, circulating in tenth place on lap 8. He maintained the position all the way to the chequered flag, finishing 12.356s from first.
Rins, riding with a special helmet to show his appreciation to the Argentine fans, was keen to get a good result. He commenced the Sprint from P12 and gained a position in the opening sector. With a gap forming to the top 10, the Yamaha rider put his attention towards managing his pace. Though he was overtaken by Jack Miller on lap 6, he could stay with the fellow Yamaha rider. The Spaniard was inching closer in the final stages but came just short of putting in a move on the final lap. He crossed the finish line in 12th place, 15.298s from the winner.
Today’s results see Quartararo stay in 13th place in the overall standings with 4 points. Rins is yet to score points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP remains in 11th place in the team championship with 4 points, and Yamaha holds 5th position in the constructor championship with 8 points.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action tomorrow for Warm Up, held from 10:40-10:50 GMT-3, and the 25-lap Race, which starts at 15:00.
Massimo Meregalli
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
“It was a mediocre day for our team: neither great nor bad. Having both riders in Q2 was helpful, especially for Fabio, who came very close to securing a place on the second row. In the Sprint, he had a good start from P7, and he was right behind the top 3. However, we are still missing something that will allow him to battle and defend his position more effectively. Álex started from P12, and he had a steady race pace overall. For him the same thing rings true: he was able to stay close to Jack Miller but couldn’t overtake in the last laps, so we need to work on this. We will analyse the data carefully and try to make a step for tomorrow’s Race.”
Fabio Quartararo
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I pushed hard in the first laps, but the pace dropped a lot in the second part of the Sprint. But on one lap I was quite good this morning. I expected it to be the other way round: a faster race pace and a slower time attack. The Sprint felt quite long in these conditions, so for sure the Race will be very long. Let’s see tomorrow after Warm Up when we will try the medium tyre. Let’s try to give it our best!”
Álex Rins
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
“I gave it my maximum. The lack of grip is limiting us. We can do one crazy good lap, but the pace is difficult to maintain, and the drop is quite severe. We are gathering information, and the guys in the box are working on it. I’m riding with a special helmet this weekend. I tried to find a good design to represent Argentina, and I’m happy that the local fans seem to like it.”
