Fabio Quartararo finally showed signs of progress at the French Grand Prix after securing his best finish of the 2026 MotoGP season with sixth place at Le Mans.
The home favourite endured a difficult start to the campaign, but a switch back to Yamaha’s 2025 aero package helped him rediscover confidence on the bike and produce a much stronger performance in front of local fans.
Quartararo admitted Yamaha initially went in the wrong direction during Friday practice, but improvements made after the recent Jerez test allowed him to turn his weekend around. After qualifying fifth, the French rider converted the pace into a valuable result on Sunday.
The key change came from reverting to the older aerodynamic package first tested in Jerez. According to Quartararo, the setup gave him back an important feeling on the M1, particularly under braking, allowing him to ride more naturally and push closer to his limit.
Source: Crash.net
The 2021 world champion explained that the bike itself was not necessarily faster, but the setup allowed him to extract more from it. He felt more comfortable attacking corners and managing the bike during braking phases, something he said had been missing for a long time.
Quartararo’s performance was even more impressive considering he was the leading rider using the soft rear tyre, which many expected to suffer heavily from wear during the race.
The Yamaha rider said his improved confidence under braking helped him make overtakes early in the race while the field remained tightly packed. That advantage allowed him to stay competitive throughout the Grand Prix.
Following the encouraging result, Quartararo revealed he no longer wants to make major setup changes during race weekends. Instead, he plans to keep a stable base setting and focus on improving his riding, while waiting for Yamaha to introduce new performance parts.
Despite the positive weekend, Quartararo remained realistic about Yamaha’s current level. He stressed that the progress was more about feeling comfortable on the bike rather than a major step forward in outright performance.
Still, the Frenchman believes being able to consistently push the Yamaha to its limit is an important step as both he and the factory continue searching for answers in a challenging season.
