Yamaha star Fabio Quartararo leads the race in Jerez and ultimately defends second place against Bagnaia – he is absolutely delighted
Fabio Quartararo was voted Man of the Race by global TV viewers at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. The Yamaha star had already caused a surprise in qualifying with his first pole position since spring 2022. In the sprint, Quartararo crashed in the second lap in a duel with Marc Marquez.
The former world champion did not make the same mistake on Sunday. He took the lead at the start and remained at the front of the field for the first eleven laps. “When I used to win races, I loved riding at the front – and that’s exactly what we did today,” said a delighted Quartararo.
“I really enjoyed the race, especially because I haven’t led a MotoGP race in many years. The feeling of having no one in front of you is just incredible. I think this was also a big step for me mentally.”
Quartararo only had to let Alex Marquez pass him. Second place is his best result in a long time. He last won in the summer of 2022 at the Sachsenring. Since then, he has finished fourth four times. But last year, he didn’t manage a single podium finish.
“To be honest, I feel like I’m on the moon. Not just because of the podium, but also because of the moments we experienced this weekend with the team, my crew, my family, and my friends – it was just amazing.”
“Especially the pole position, leading a race after three years and now the podium – that was really nice. And yes, being able to fight with these riders again is something I had almost forgotten. It’s a great feeling.”
8 laps completed
Less than three tenths separate Quartararo and @alexmarquez73
SpanishGP pic. twitter.com/GUTQapFmnF
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025
In the second half of the race, Quartararo had Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati breathing down his neck. The Italian has won at Jerez for the past three years. But this time, Bagnaia was unable to mount an attack.
“When you have the two-time world champion behind you for almost the entire race with a gap of 0.5, 0.6 or 0.4 seconds, it’s very difficult,” said Quartararo, ”but in the sections where we were strong, I tried not to make any mistakes.”
“Today, I really rode very close to my 100 percent limit on every lap. I made only a few mistakes, and they weren’t serious. Today, that was the best possible result we could have achieved.”
Why was the Yamaha so competitive?
Quartararo is considered a specialist in Jerez. He took his first pole position there in 2019 and won both races in 2020. But why was the Yamaha, which hadn’t been so competitive in recent weeks, suddenly so strong?
“It’s the same bike as in Austin. We stopped making too many changes during the weekend. Instead, we’re trying to keep the bike the same and I’m just trying to get the most out of it.”
@PeccoBagnaia is still sizing up Quartararo AND don’t discount Maverick in P4 SpanishGP pic. twitter.com/QbMp43zXZc
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025
“At the moment, we don’t have anything new that would take us a step forward.” That’s why the Frenchman doesn’t want to get too carried away: “For the next races, however, I think we should continue to compete without any expectations.”
“Because the bike is the same as in the last two Grands Prix. We know how hard we had to fight in Qatar. That’s why we have to stay calm. If we get the opportunity to ride a race like this one, we have to make the most of it.”
Next podium at the home race in Le Mans?
In two weeks, the French Grand Prix in Le Mans is on the calendar. It is expected to be sold out. Quartararo’s performance was the best advertisement for his home race, where he will be the center of attention for the fans.
We haven’t seen this since Indonesia 2023 Fabio Quartararo is BACK on the podiumSpanishGP pic. twitter.com/7gjEtwXSvY
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025
Although he is playing it down, he still thinks he has a chance at Le Mans: “It’s a good track for me because it’s hard on the brakes and the tires don’t wear out very quickly. That was also the key this weekend, because in Qatar the tire wear was very noticeable.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll have to work harder to maintain consistent lap times. The Ducati riders can take it a little easier. Here, I was able to push 100 percent throughout the race, even though there was a slight drop.”
“Le Mans is similar to Jerez, but I don’t want to be too euphoric. If you have too many expectations and end up only fifth, you’re disappointed. Of course, I’ll do my best, just like this weekend.”
