Quartararo struggled to a 12th-place finish on the factory Yamaha at the Losail International Circuit sprint, nearly 13 seconds behind the leader in the short 11-lap race.
Facing grip issues throughout the weekend, Quartararo encountered significant tire degradation towards the end of the sprint, affecting his performance. Despite his low expectations, he found the level of degradation concerning, especially considering the limited tire options for the full race.
Sticking with medium tires on both ends of his M1, Quartararo was perplexed by the excessive degradation experienced compared to their test sessions, raising doubts about track conditions as the sole cause.
His teammate, Alex Rins, also struggled, finishing 17th and highlighting tire wear as a crucial concern for Yamaha in the longer race.
