MotoGP Mandalika Test: ‘Turn one needs resurfacing, it’s a total disaster,’ - Quartararo

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo began his MotoGP title defence by completing pre-season testing second in the standings.

Just 0.014s denied Quartararo from the top as three days of testing at Mandalika in Indonesia came to a close. Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro set the benchmark time early on Sunday morning with the Frenchman challenging in the closing seconds.

Despite the satisfactory time attack, the Yamaha front runner was left wanting as the first race of the season drew closer with top speed and consistent feeling still lacking compared to his ideals.

“This morning I was pretty fast but not feeling so great, so I was not happy,” Quartararo explained as the weekend’s work concluded on Lombok Island. “The conditions were really similar to the afternoon so I was happy because, more than the lap time, improving my feeling with the bike was much better but we arrived to the limits. Unfortunately I felt on the limit everywhere, the lap time was good but I expect a little bit better. Let’s see, in Qatar will be another story but from my side I’m 100 per cent ready.

“To be honest, I don’t know where we can improve,” he continued on the somewhat disappointing improvement made by the M1. “When you start to feel the front moving everywhere, the rear spinning at the limit, yourself touching the elbow everywhere. It’s difficult to find more you know, but for me what is important is that the team, especially Yamaha, work a lot in this area to find whatever, to have more speed, to feel myself less on the limit. Because to be honest, to ride at this pace, every time I go on track I need to push so much and at the end is something that, for sure every rider is on the limit but it is quite tough for us.

“I put 100 per cent