News Summary
- Quartararo included himself in criticism of riders’ failure to consider the hard rear earlier.
- The Yamaha rider found greater stability with the tyre and believes it could have helped over a qualifying lap.
- Michelin’s withdrawal of the soft rear after Sprint problems prompted the grid to reassess its options.
Fabio Quartararo said MotoGP riders were “a bit stupid” to overlook Michelin’s hard rear tyre during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. The Yamaha rider believes the option eventually used throughout Sunday’s race could also have offered better performance in qualifying.
Speaking after the Grand Prix at Motegi, Quartararo included himself in the criticism. Riders had concentrated their preparations on the soft and medium options before Saturday’s Sprint exposed serious durability problems with the soft rear.
“For me, to be honest, I think we’re a bit stupid to not consider this tyre,” Quartararo said.
The hard rear provided greater stability on his Yamaha, reducing the movement he had experienced when accelerating out of corners. Quartararo felt that improvement could have allowed him to use more power during a qualifying attempt.
Instead, its potential only became apparent during Sunday’s extended warm-up, after Michelin withdrew the soft rear following the tyre problems that affected Martín and Bagnaia in the Sprint.
How the hard rear became the race choice
The resurfaced Motegi circuit created unfamiliar demands for teams and Michelin. The reinforced hard rear had been available as a contingency option, but it received little attention while riders compared their more familiar alternatives.
That changed after the Sprint. Overheating damaged soft rear tyres, prompting Michelin to remove that option and recommend the hard for the Grand Prix. The supplier also warned of risks associated with using the medium.
Sunday’s warm-up became the decisive opportunity to assess the hard rear, and every rider selected it for the race. What had been treated as a fallback proved competitive as well as suitable for the distance.
Quartararo’s assessment went beyond durability. For his Yamaha, the more stable behaviour suggested a benefit over a single fast lap, challenging the assumption that the softer option would necessarily produce the best qualifying performance.
Márquez also saw qualifying potential
Race winner Marc Márquez reached a similar conclusion after using the hard rear to defeat Jorge Martín and complete a Sprint and Grand Prix double.
“It was a tyre that, even for the time attack [qualifying], was a good tyre,” Márquez said after the race.
Márquez considered its performance a major surprise, while Martín also reported improved stability and grip. The Aprilia rider acknowledged some regret that the tyre had not been assessed earlier in the weekend.
Francesco Bagnaia likewise accepted that the riders had missed an opportunity. His assessment focused on the need to investigate the available options rather than rely on expectations carried over from previous events.
“It is the riders’ fault that we didn’t try that tyre,” Bagnaia said.
Fuel management restricted Quartararo’s race
The tyre improvement did not remove Quartararo’s other limitations. He finished 12th, with fuel management preventing him from exploiting the pace he believed was available.
The Yamaha rider said the restriction became apparent from lap seven. He had to reduce his throttle application on several stretches of the circuit, including the main straight, to control consumption.
Running in another rider’s slipstream did not resolve the problem. Once Quartararo lost that assistance, managing the fuel became more difficult, leaving him unable to turn the improved tyre behaviour into a stronger result.
MotoGP returns from 9–11 October at Mandalika for the Indonesian Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action throughout the weekend.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who won the Japanese MotoGP race today?
Marc Márquez won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing 1.363s ahead of Jorge Martín. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Márquez secured a weekend double after also winning Saturday’s Sprint.
Who leads the MotoGP championship after the Japanese GP?
Jorge Martín remains the MotoGP championship leader with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Marc Márquez on 331. Márquez’s two victories in Japan reduced the gap from 12 points at the start of the weekend.
When is the next MotoGP race?
The next MotoGP race is the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The weekend runs from 9–11 October.
