Quartararo could only muster a 12th-place finish in the best of the two factory Yamahas in Saturday’s half-distance race at the Losail International Circuit, finishing almost 13 seconds off the lead in what was only an 11-lap contest.
Having already suffered all weekend with a lack of pace in low-grip conditions, the Frenchman also reported heavy degradation on his Michelin rubber in the closing stages of the sprint, which led to him losing a place to VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi on the final lap.
