Fabio Quartararo stepped up his criticism of Yamaha’s V4 after the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, saying “I’m not stupid; I know how to ride a bike” and that he has lost his “love for riding.” He said he was no longer having “fun” as the Yamaha M1 struggled in cornering, and he described persistent problems with grip and power that left him uncomfortable braking, entering corners, cornering and accelerating. Quartararo qualified 17th, was eliminated in Q1 for the third time in four races, and finished 14th, nearly 30 seconds behind race winner Alex Márquez. He was the only Yamaha full-time rider to score points at Jerez; teammates Alex Rins finished 16th, Jack Miller 18th, and new signing Toprak Razgatlioglu 19th.

Quartararo warned that fixing one issue often seemed to expose another, and he and Razgatlioglu both singled out a “huge” engine-braking problem that undermines performance and confidence. Yamaha brought new items to Jerez but made little measurable progress according to reports, and team representative Massimo Meregalli said the factory used a slightly modified engine at the weekend while the overall design remained unchanged. Razgatlioglu said he did not enjoy riding the M1 at Jerez, crashed out of the Sprint and received a long-lap penalty after an incident, but he said he was “giving everything” and expected a bigger step when new bikes arrive in 2027.

Yamaha used Monday’s post-race test in Jerez to evaluate chassis, aerodynamic and electronic developments for the V4, and Quartararo said he “finds something” in the work. He emerged seventh fastest in the session, 0.495 seconds off the top time, and reported improved front-end feeling and a positive effect from a new aerodynamic element. Quartararo described the gains as incremental rather than a major breakthrough and said more development will be needed to return to podium contention. Yamaha sits fifth in the constructors’ championship on 14 points, 25 points behind Honda, and Quartararo’s outspoken comments increased pressure on the factory to deliver clearer solutions rather than incremental changes that do not address riders’ core complaints.