Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo will serve a 10-minute suspension during the opening free practice of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone following a penalty handed down for failing to follow marshal instructions during the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. The 2021 MotoGP World Champion has also been fined €2,000.
The penalty stems from an incident during last weekend’s French GP, where Quartararo crashed out of his home race at Turn 14. After the fall, the Yamaha rider was judged to have disobeyed direct orders from track marshals — a violation that prompted Race Direction to impose disciplinary measures for the next round at Silverstone.
Quartararo’s crash occurred on lap four while leading the race, after starting from pole position and dominating the early stages in front of a record-breaking home crowd. Despite the bitter disappointment, the Frenchman remained positive post-race.
“When it started to rain, I wanted to push like hell in the first laps,” Quartararo explained. “I made one Long Lap and was still really close to Marc [Marquez] there. But it was raining a little bit more, and I hadn’t even had one moment of the rear — I just completely lost the front.” Fabio said with Motorsport.
“We gave our best. I didn’t expect to lose it like that, but it is what it is. We gave our maximum this weekend.”
The Le Mans race was filled with chaos as changing weather conditions forced strategic gambles. Quartararo, like many riders, started on slick tyres before the rain intensified. After a mandatory bike change and serving double Long Lap penalties, Quartararo continued to push, but the treacherous surface proved unforgiving.
“Changing the bike, then starting from a double Long Lap — it was complicated,” he reflected. “But I think it was the right choice to start with slicks. We were quite fast in the beginning and wanted to see what we could achieve. Unfortunately, we crashed.”
“Conditions were really tricky. I wanted to take a bet, push hard from the beginning, and we had a good advantage. Unfortunately, we lost it quickly.”
Credit Photo : Michelin
