The performance of Yamaha at the Austrian Grand Prix was “quite ridiculous,” marking the worst showing by any manufacturer in 2025 so far.
None of the four M1 bikes managed to qualify better than 16th place. Although Fabio Quartararo achieved a commendable 11th in the sprint race due to the early chaos, the full-length race saw the Yamahas outperformed by riders from other manufacturers with relative ease.
On race day, Quartararo finished 15th—the highest-ranked Yamaha—lagging 25 seconds behind race winner Marc Marquez and seven seconds off Ai Ogura, who quickly distanced himself from the M1s after overtaking Jack Miller.
Fastest Laps at the Austrian GP
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – 1m29.533s
…
17. Jack Miller (Yamaha) – 1m30.477s
18. Alex Rins (Yamaha) – 1m30.544s
19. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) – 1m30.717s
20. Miguel Oliveira (Yamaha) – 1m30.7634s
Quartararo noted that he never felt his Yamaha was faster than Aprilia’s Ogura at any point. “It’s ridiculous to see four bikes in the same position—the last four,” he remarked. “I didn’t take anything useful away from this weekend.” He expressed that despite having a good pace on Friday, the performance drastically changed by race day.
Frustration was echoed by Miguel Oliveira from the Pramac team, who described the race as one of the worst he had experienced, where it was evident from the start that it would be a struggle. He commented on the lack of grip and performance, stating that the ranking among the Yamahas was irrelevant when they placed at the bottom.
A key issue appeared to be the Yamahas’ incompatibility with the specialized rear tire used at the Red Bull Ring, compounded by struggles for fuel efficiency. Jack Miller highlighted that the bike was unable to harness performance from the rear tire effectively, stating that the motorcycle’s issues hindered traction across different racing conditions.
Miller described his attempts to improve traction during the race as futile, struggling with the rear’s lateral slip while the front performed admirably. He conveyed a sense of helplessness, feeling competitive yet knowing the bike was severely limited in performance.
