Quartararo had to go through Q1 for the fourth time in his MotoGP career on Saturday after getting knocked out of the top 10 at the end of FP3.
The Yamaha rider managed to progress into Q2, but could only qualify 11th and over six tenths off the pace of polesitter Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati.
The 2022 Yamaha’s top speed deficit has been a talking point of pre-season but, when asked by Motorsport.com if his disappointing qualifying was directly a result of his lack of power, he said: “Well, to be honest I feel great on the bike.
“I just put myself on the limit, but I’m not an engineer. The top speed is something, but I’m not an engineer.
“I give my 100% every time I go on track and today, tomorrow and until the end of the season. But it was tough.”
He added later: “I’m just a rider that is on the bike, I push myself 100%.
“Coming into Qatar I expected much better, but like always on the pace I’m fast.
“But looking at the practice, qualifying practice, I’m not super angry because I know I did my best and I couldn’t do much better.
“So, to be honest I don’t know what to say.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Quartararo did have to battle through from the outer reaches of the top 10 in last year’s Doha GP at Losail to win the race, but thinks in 2022 he will have “to make a perfect first lap” to be able to fight at the front.
“On this track, I think it’s the track we need to just make a perfect first lap,” he said.
“But then last year I was P9 during almost all the race and then I could overtake, but things change, the bikes improve.
“So, we will see, but what is true that we will try something tomorrow on the bike because the pace actually we are not feeling so bad.
“And then, yes, I will see. But it’s just giving myself 100%, I have no time to take a rest, I will push myself to the limit but also taking care of the tires.
“So, it will not be an easy job.”
Quartararo also noted that the Yamaha still lacks rear grip and that the instability seen in qualifying is down to him pushing to the limit.
“My feeling basically, when we don’t have the rear grip, we are struggling,” he added.
“And I think we don’t have a margin to put in more power in some accelerations.
“So, I would say the rear grip, and then the bike is totally shaking.
“But this is because I put myself on the limit and, when you put yourself to the limit, you arrive one moment where the bike is not really stable anymore.
“So, when the bike is shaking it means I’m on the limit, but for me the main difference is the rear grip missing on the track.
“We know this is a weak point for us, so I’d say this is the main issue.”
