It was a heartbreaking race for Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo at Jerez after sudden arm pump sabotaged his attempt for a third-consecutive victory at the Spanish GP.
Having started from pole and slotted into fourth place after the first corner, the Frenchman led Sunday’s race from lap four to lap 15, until the unexpected issue disrupted his charge with 12 laps to go.
Quartararo had looked fully at ease as he overtook Pecco Bagnaia, Franky Morbidelli and Jack Miller one by one in Lorenzo‘s corner on the opening four laps to regain the lead. Putting the hammer down, he set a new fastest lap record of 1‘37.770s on lap eight and with 17 to go, the gap to the Ducati in second place was well over a second.
El Diablo seemed to be running his own race and smoothly cruising to his third successive win - both at Jerez and for this season - before suddenly experiencing a severe case of arm pump at mid-race distance.
The 22-year-old’s 1.4s lead was all but diminished in just one lap and unable to push due to the excruciating pain, he couldn‘t defend his position from Miller before further positions fell over the ensuing 10 laps. Digging deep, the Monster Energy rider finished the 25-lap race in 13th place, crossing the line 18.907s from first and scoring three championship points, leaving him second overall.
“I had a big issue with the arm” Quartararo spoke plainly from the Jerez paddock this afternoon.
“It's so sad because I was feeling really easy at the front. I was P4, I could overtake them quite easily. I was comfortable with the pace, we had amazing pace this weekend, just had no power on the arm. I’m just so disappointed about it. I'm concentrating on the pace that I did, I was fighting until the end, even if it was for three points, but I fight!”
Confused as to the sudden onset of the condition - for which he had undergone surgery back in 2019 - the Frenchman explained that he had not been experiencing the issue at any point throughout the weekend or in the preceding races.
“Honestly, last year in Portimao was really bad, but this year was perfect. All the years I've been here in Jerez was good. Last year was not a problem and this year, I was in the lead and as soon as it was one-second lead, I had no more power. I still fight for six more laps with the pain, keeping the one-second, but was just impossible for me. No more power, was dangerous for me to ride half the race but I didn't want to stop because I knew that maybe one or two points can be really important for the championship so I gave it my all.
“2020 was perfect, zero problem, even 25 laps I was feeling good, there was not even a small pain. This year was total opposite, I had to break with four fingers - normally I break with one! I couldn't go full gas on the straight, apart from the last lap to try to take those few points that maybe can help at the end of the season but no explanation. In training the same, I'm feeling even better on the bike and I don’t know! I have no idea. Here I have never had problem in my life. This year I have problem, it's not okay, my arm is not okay, so it's something that I don't understand. We are still looking but there is too many options that my brain is just full of people telling me to go in one place, to the other and actually, right now I'm lost.
“I've been super fast. I've stayed calm. I was P4 behind two Ducatis, Franco. I knew I was fastest today. That's honest. You start the race and you don't even feel that stressed, I was full of confidence. As soon as I was fourth, every lap I say 'okay, from now I will overtake them in the last corner’ and every lap I was overtaking in that corner and I pulled away. Everything from this weekend was positive, just from halfway till the end that problem on the arm but I felt super good on the bike.”