Fabio Quartararo had a very good weekend in Qatar, and it finally put a smile back on his face. While Yamaha's struggles are far from over, there are clear signs of improvement — and that’s giving the 2021 MotoGP champion fresh hope for the future.

During qualifying in Qatar, Quartararo briefly topped the timesheets before securing a spot on the front row. Given how tough things have been for Yamaha since their 2021 title season, that alone felt like a small victory.

After finishing fifth in the sprint and seventh in the main race, Quartararo left Qatar feeling optimistic.

“It’s even more than we expected,” Quartararo said after qualifying in an interview for MotoGP. “The one-lap pace was really good. We can be pretty happy with what we’ve done.”

But while that performance was encouraging, there's still a long road ahead. Yamaha remains behind Ducati, which is currently the dominant force in MotoGP — especially when it comes to consistency and corner-exit speed.

MotoGP analyst Sylvain Guintoli, speaking to TNT Sports, broke down Yamaha’s current challenge:

“Yamaha has struggled across the board – not just in qualifying, but in the races too. That said, we’ve started to see some sparks. Quartararo looked lightning quick during winter testing in Sepang.”

One of the key issues Yamaha faces is how the bike reacts when rear tyre grip starts to fade. Ducati machines, in contrast, remain strong in the corners even with worn tyres.

“They need to find consistency in efficiency at corner exit,” Guintoli added for TNT Sports. “That’s where Ducati is top-notch, and where Yamaha is still falling short.”

Despite the setbacks, there are glimpses of promise. Former rider and MotoGP analyst Michael Laverty pointed out that when grip levels are high, Yamaha can actually go toe-to-toe with the best bikes on the grid.

“When the grip is there, the Yamaha turns tighter, gets traction, and can accelerate with the Ducatis. It works brilliantly – but when grip drops, Fabio is left struggling.” Said Laverty to TNT Sports.

Still, Quartararo hasn’t lost faith in Yamaha’s project. In fact, he recently signed a contract extension with the team and is now rumored to be the highest-paid rider in MotoGP. That’s a big show of confidence — both from Yamaha and from Fabio himself.

There are also real reasons for optimism. Yamaha has added the Pramac satellite team, which means they now have double the bikes, riders, and race data. On top of that, they’ve started testing a new V4 engine — a major step that could bring them closer to Ducati’s level in terms of power and performance.

One standout moment came from Jack Miller, who is now racing for Pramac Yamaha. His fifth-place finish at the Americas GP sent a strong signal that the bike has serious potential.

Laverty believes Quartararo is starting to rediscover the same spark that made him such a force when he first joined MotoGP with the Petronas Yamaha team.

“When Fabio was starting from the front row a few years back, he was going for wins. He’s had to reset his expectations since then, but we’re seeing that fire again. And seeing Jack Miller succeed can be the push he needs to raise his own level.” Said Laverty to TNT Sports.

So while Yamaha still has plenty of ground to cover — especially when compared to Ducati’s pace and race-day consistency — there’s a growing sense that Quartararo and his team are finally catching up.