The scorching heat of Indonesia didn’t deter Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo, who showcased his MotoGP superstar credentials during the Grand Prix of Indonesia Race. In a remarkable performance, Quartararo clinched the third spot on the podium, while his teammate, Franco Morbidelli, faced a stroke of misfortune but managed to secure 14th place and two valuable championship points.

 

Quartararo’s Triumph

Fabio Quartararo had an impressive start, commencing the race from P4 on the grid and swiftly securing the third position on the opening lap. While he couldn’t quite match the blistering pace set by the top two riders, Quartararo adeptly defended his spot against a cluster of competitors tailing closely. His hold on third place lasted for approximately two laps before he was engulfed by a surge of riders. Quartararo then settled into the sixth position but swiftly climbed to fifth on the sixth lap when Brad Binder completed a lengthy penalty.

 

As the race approached its mid-point, Quartararo demonstrated his prowess. The sweltering and challenging conditions in Indonesia seemed inconsequential to the Frenchman as he gradually closed in on Aleix Espargaró. On the 13th lap, Quartararo overtook Espargaró, securing the fourth position. On the same lap, the race leader, Jorge Martin, met with a crash, elevating Quartararo to the coveted podium. Lap by lap, the Yamaha rider relentlessly pursued the frontrunners, but he couldn’t quite find a way past Maverick Viñales. Despite his relentless efforts, Quartararo finished the race in third place, a mere 0.127 seconds behind the second-placed rider and 0.433 seconds behind the leader.

 

Morbidelli’s Tenacity

Franco Morbidelli’s race day was marred by adversity. Starting from P15, he was determined to make up lost ground. His launch off the grid was promising, but he found himself at the back of the pack after chaos in the first sector during the opening lap. Shortly thereafter, Morbidelli encountered an electronics issue and decided to pit after the second lap. Rejoining the race, albeit four laps behind the frontrunners, Morbidelli’s perseverance paid off. Displaying impressive speed and benefiting from other riders’ mishaps, the Italian gradually ascended the rankings and finished as high as 14th place. Despite the earlier setbacks, he managed to secure two championship points.

 

Championship Standings

The results of the Grand Prix of Indonesia Race have significant implications for the championship standings. Fabio Quartararo maintains his position at 10th place in the overall standings with 132 points. Franco Morbidelli remains in 12th place with 79 points. In the team championship, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team holds the 6th position with 211 points, while Yamaha has now climbed to 4th place in the constructor’s championship with 152 points.

 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo delivered an exceptional performance, demonstrating his remarkable skill and tenacity in challenging conditions. The Grand Prix of Indonesia Race was a testament to his capabilities, and his podium finish is a testament to his MotoGP superstar pedigree.

 

Race Sum Up

1. Fabio Quartararo delivered an outstanding performance, securing third place on the podium.

 

2. Franco Morbidelli encountered an electronics issue and had to make a pit stop, which initially set him back but eventually earned him two championship points.

 

3. Quartararo currently holds the 10th position in the overall standings with 132 points.

 

4. The team is in 6th place in the team championship with 211 points.

 

5. Yamaha has climbed to 4th place in the constructor’s championship with 152 points.

 

 

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

Team Director

It was a difficult Race to predict. The new Michelin medium rear tyre was still largely unknown to us, and the same goes for the new track surface; but our strategy worked out well for Fabio. His good qualifying helped him, of course, but he also did a superb job. He kept his concentration and also his vigour, and it was great to see him fight at the front again, which is where we belong. This is a physically demanding track, with little time to recover and catch your breath, and it was very hot today, and the race was long – but it turns out it wasn‘t long enough. Just a few more laps could have done the trick. But, anyway, we are very pleased with today‘s result. Third place is a nice boost, as the team and Yamaha are working very hard behind the scenes. Franky was unlucky at the start of the race. His bike had an electronics issue, so he had to go back into the pits. By the time he headed back out, he was too far behind to do any more battling, which was a shame because his lap times were really good. But the data will still be valuable and every championship point counts.

 

 

FABIO QUARTARARO

I‘m super happy! The key point of my race was the warm-up lap, where I really tried to make the rear spin a lot. I knew it was a positive race. I showed my speed. But when you’re fighting for podium positions you always want more. Every time it‘s possible to get a podium, it‘s great to do it! We have to keep going. We were riding on the limit, and it was really nice to finish within 0.5s from first.