Quartararo Finishes P7 at 2024 MotoGP Misano
Fabio Quartararo represented as a solo rider for Team ENEOS at the Gran Premio dell’Emilia-Romagna Race, held at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Álex Rins was unable to compete due to complications with the flu.
With a good start from P9 on the grid, El Diablo gained a position on the opening lap as he slotted in behind Marco Bezzecchi. He then moved up to seventh after Brad Binder crashed, but struggled to stay with the riders ahead in the early stages. Two more riders crashed out later, allowing Quartararo to move into fifth, where he gave it his all to defend the position. Franco Morbidelli crept up to put pressure on him during the final laps, but Quartararo endured. However, he ran out of fuel coming out of the final corners, which had him finish P7, 20.922sec from the race winner.
“I ran out of fuel at the second-to-last corner, but this is by far one of the best GPs we’ve had this season,” Quartararo said. “If we can achieve similar results in Indonesia, it’ll be a big step forward for us. I’ve been feeling better the last few weeks when I’m riding.”
Rins suffered from a high fever due to the flu, causing him to miss Practice. He tried to get through FP2 but was suffering from shortness of breath, and was directed by the MotoGP Medical Director and team to rest and make a full recovery before the Indonesian GP.
“I wanted to get on the bike and onto the track, but I immediately realized that I was not feeling well because I was struggling to breathe,” Rins said. “Instead I need to focus on being 100-percent fit for Indonesia.”
Following the Misano GP, Quartararo moved up to 13th in the overall standings with 73 points; Rins is now 21st with 15 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP holds ninth in the team championship with 88 points, and Yamaha remains fourth in the manufacturer championship with 84 points.