Rollercoaster Spanish GP Saturday for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Pictures for editorial use only
Copyright 2025 Yamaha Motor Racing Srl
It was a day of highs and lows for the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. After two crashes and missing most of the Q1 session, Álex Rins made a solid comeback in the Gran Premio de España Sprint, securing P15. Fabio Quartararo gave a stunning performance in the morning at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto. The Yamaha rider took pole, setting a new All-Time Lap Record of 1'35.610s. However, his fight for the lead in the Sprint was short-lived. He suffered a luckless crash on lap 2, ending his podium challenge.
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 26th April 2025
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on the Gran Premio de España Saturday. Álex Rins showed grit and bounced back from a challenging morning by riding to P15 in the afternoon's Sprint. Fabio Quartararo was keen to make the most of his hard-fought pole position at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto, but an unlucky crash on lap 2 with an NC as result ended his chance of a podium.
Rins had an eventful second day in Jerez. The Spaniard suffered two crashes in FP2 and went for a precautionary medical check before joining the Q1 session in the final minutes after he was declared fit to ride. He completed just one quick lap and found himself at the back of the grid in P23. The number-42 rider showed he is made of tough stuff during the Sprint, however. He challenged various rivals and with three riders retiring from the 12-lap dash, Rins had moved up the order to 15th place by lap 10. The remainder was a lonely ride for him, but he had got into a solid rhythm and set two personal best laps in a row. The Yamaha rider crossed the finish line in P15, 19.963s from first.
Quartararo rode one of the best laps of his MotoGP career in this morning's Q2 session. He clocked a 1'35.610s, a new All-Time Lap Record, to secure his first pole position since the 2022 Indonesian GP. In the Sprint, the Yamaha man launched off the line well enough, but Marc Marquez gave him a run for his money heading towards the first corner. The Frenchman proved braver on the brakes though. He dove on the inside to hold on to the lead. However, the scrap between the two was only getting started. Marc Marquez put in an overtake on lap 2 in Turn 6. El Diablo tried all he could to hang on, riding on the outside of his rival, but he was off the racing line running wide, resulting in a crash. Thankfully, the Frenchman was quickly back on his feet. Though disappointed, he is looking forward to a do-over in tomorrow's Race.
Today's results see Quartararo stay in 8th place in the overall standings with 30 points. Rins remains in 16th with 14 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP holds 5th place in the team championship with 44 points, and Yamaha is in 5th position in the constructor championship with 42 points.
On the Spanish GP Sunday, the teammates will start the track action with the Warm Up held from 09:40-09:50 (GMT+2), followed by the 25-lap Race starting at 14:00.
Rins had an eventful second day in Jerez. The Spaniard suffered two crashes in FP2 and went for a precautionary medical check before joining the Q1 session in the final minutes after he was declared fit to ride. He completed just one quick lap and found himself at the back of the grid in P23. The number-42 rider showed he is made of tough stuff during the Sprint, however. He challenged various rivals and with three riders retiring from the 12-lap dash, Rins had moved up the order to 15th place by lap 10. The remainder was a lonely ride for him, but he had got into a solid rhythm and set two personal best laps in a row. The Yamaha rider crossed the finish line in P15, 19.963s from first.
Quartararo rode one of the best laps of his MotoGP career in this morning's Q2 session. He clocked a 1'35.610s, a new All-Time Lap Record, to secure his first pole position since the 2022 Indonesian GP. In the Sprint, the Yamaha man launched off the line well enough, but Marc Marquez gave him a run for his money heading towards the first corner. The Frenchman proved braver on the brakes though. He dove on the inside to hold on to the lead. However, the scrap between the two was only getting started. Marc Marquez put in an overtake on lap 2 in Turn 6. El Diablo tried all he could to hang on, riding on the outside of his rival, but he was off the racing line running wide, resulting in a crash. Thankfully, the Frenchman was quickly back on his feet. Though disappointed, he is looking forward to a do-over in tomorrow's Race.
Today's results see Quartararo stay in 8th place in the overall standings with 30 points. Rins remains in 16th with 14 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP holds 5th place in the team championship with 44 points, and Yamaha is in 5th position in the constructor championship with 42 points.
On the Spanish GP Sunday, the teammates will start the track action with the Warm Up held from 09:40-09:50 (GMT+2), followed by the 25-lap Race starting at 14:00.
Massimo Meregalli
Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Álex Rins
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
"It was a big crash this morning. That second one was nasty. I lost the front at a really high speed and then went into the air fence, hitting the wall. For a crash at that speed, I'm more or less OK. I went to the medical centre to have a check-up, because I was feeling a little bit of pain in my right little finger and also my knee, and they found that also my wrist had a little crack. But I did the Sprint race just to see what my condition is like and what we would be able to do. Right now, for sure, I'm tired and in pain, but the Sprint race was important for us. I'm not feeling 100% because of the crash, but we still have work to do. We are a bit far from Fabio, so we need to keep working."
Fabio Quartararo
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider