Quartararo Finishes P11 at 2024 British MotoGP

2024 was a special vintage themed race at the 2024 Monster Energy British Grand Prix, where team Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP celebrated 75 years of Yamaha in MotoGP. Team riders Fabio Quartararo and Remy Gardner competed in the main Race with custom livery bikes, helmets and rider leathers.

El Diablo had a strong start, moving up from P18 on the grid to P12 in the opening stages of the first lap before settling into 13th. A double-long-lap penalty for Franco Morbidelli allowed the Frenchman to move up to P12 again, and briefly held P11 when he overtook Maverick Viñales, but it didn’t last long.

Quartararo rode solo for a while with a big gap between himself and the riders ahead and behind him, but Viñales creeped back and overtook him with five laps remaining. Quartararo then chased Jack Miller down and passed him with two laps to go, but immediately had to defend his position from a charging Morbidelli. He tried to run wide, but ended the Race in P11, 24.202sec from first.

“The bike looked great with the vintage livery, but we struggled with a lack of grip,” said Quartararo. “I pushed to the max and fought hard, but now we know what our weak points are and will keep working so we can fight for better positions.”

Gardner had a decent start from P22 and quickly moved up to P18, engaged in a battle with Takaaki Nakagami. Though he managed to keep him at bay for a few laps, he ultimately had to let him pass. Focused on his own riding, Gardner took P18 again when Joan Mir retired from the race, and crossed the finish line 59.136sec from first (and with useful feedback for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team).

“I don’t have enough experience to keep the pace when the tire drops,” Gardner said. “That all comes down to race experience, and we haven’t focused on the race pace; it’s all been about testing.”

Following the British GP, Quartararo moved up one place to 14th in the overall standings with 49 points; his teammate Álex Rins (who withdrew from the race, still recovering from his injury) remains 21st with 8 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP holds ninth in the team championship with 57 points, and Yamaha remains fourth in the manufacturer championship with 53 points.

NEXT RACE

Team ENEOS heads to Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich at Spielberg Track Austria from August 16-18.