Patryk Stachowiak
Mugello, Italy – The Italian hills will echo with ambition this weekend as Fabio Quartararo looks to reignite his 2024 MotoGP campaign at one of his most cherished tracks. Reeling from a punishing trio of race-day DNFs, the former world champion is eager to turn the tide at Mugello—a venue where he’s tasted both glory and resilience.
Quartararo, who dropped to tenth in the standings after retirements at Le Mans, Silverstone, and Aragon, believes Mugello could be the stage for a much-needed reset. The Jerez podium had sparked optimism, but a crash in the rain at Le Mans and a devastating mechanical issue while leading at Silverstone left him grappling with frustration. Aragon’s low grip only added to Yamaha’s mounting troubles, culminating in another fall from tenth place.
Yet Mugello offers a different tone—both emotionally and technically. The last non-Ducati rider to win here, Quartararo stormed to victory in 2021 and followed up with a podium in 2022. Now, with upgraded Yamaha components tested recently at Aragon and Barcelona, the Frenchman sees potential in his M1 package once again.
“At the Aragon test, some of the items we tried felt promising and might work here too,” said Quartararo. “I love this circuit, and Mugello usually provides better grip. We’ll give it our all, as always.”
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While Quartararo carries cautious optimism, teammate Alex Rins continues his search for Sunday form. Seventeenth in the championship and yet to crack the top ten on a race day, the Spaniard is also leaning on recent test findings for an Italian breakthrough.
“We experimented a lot in Aragon and ended with a good feeling,” said Rins. “We’ll begin the weekend with our usual base setup, though we’ll tweak it to avoid last race’s issues. This is like a home GP for the team—we want to deliver something special.”
Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli is equally focused on the new parts and their translation to Mugello’s flowing, high-speed layout. After additional runs with Pramac and test riders in Barcelona, all eyes are on the M1’s behavior under race conditions.
“The data we gathered at Aragon could be crucial,” said Meregalli. “Now we’ll validate it in a competitive setting, and Mugello’s contrasting character makes it an ideal testbed.”
Opening practice kicks off on Friday, setting the tone for what could be a pivotal weekend for Yamaha—and a rider hungry to reclaim his rhythm.