Fabio Quartararo arrives on his MotoGP lap at Le Mans and is still recovering from last week’s arm pump operation hastily arranged after Jerez’s troubles.
The Monster Yamaha rider was on track to extend his championship lead with a third straight win when he pulled out of Jack Miller in the Spanish race.
With a chronic arm pump, the young French not only lost the lead, but also fell back to 13th place within nine laps.
Quartararo’s right arm was operated on in CH Aix en Provence hospital on Tuesday 4th May. It is the same arm that had to be operated on in 2019 for “compartment syndrome”.
Although Quartararo’s wound won’t be fully healed this weekend, Miller said he had no real trouble returning from Qatar-Portimao arm pump surgery and the number 20 is feeling “positive” for his home round.
“Sure, the way we finished the Spanish GP was a shame, but the positive we get from it is that we are fast enough to fight for podiums and wins,” said Quartararo.
On the subject of matching items
“I had an operation for compartment syndrome and it was successful. I have been training since then and have been positive about this weekend.
“Anyway, it’s always nice to go to Le Mans because it’s my home race. I’ll do my best to get back to the top as soon as possible.”
Quartararo, who is only two points behind the new title leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), qualified for last year’s French race in the dry on pole position, but was only able to achieve ninth place in the wet Grand Prix.
On the subject of matching items
A fraction behind Quartararo’s Petronas machine at Le Mans last year was his current team-mate Maverick Vinales.
The Spaniard is 16 points ahead of third place in the World Cup and has not made it onto the podium since his season opener win in Qatar.
However, Vinales won the test after the race at Jerez, where he focused on improving his braking, and is excited to see if the steps work at Le Mans too.
“This will be an interesting weekend for us,” said Vinales. “The positive test in Jerez gave us additional motivation. I am very curious to see whether what we found there will also work here and what we can do this weekend.
“Le Mans is a track that I like. I’ve had some nice battles there and we’re usually competitive because the track layout suits our bike.
“But we also know that the weather at the French GP can be difficult. It changes a lot so we have to pay close attention to the forecast and make sure we are competitive in every session.”
Team principal Massimo Meregalli added: “We usually see the French GP as a good opportunity for us. The layout of the Le Mans track suits our bike and we know that our two riders are very fond of this track.
“However, it looks like weather conditions will play a big role in this GP. We haven’t had a wet race this season and forecasts predict mixed conditions over the weekend so we need to be prepared.” . “