Fabio Quartararo believes Yamaha has some speed going into the MotoGP Americas Grand Prix, but admits he’s not sure if it’s enough. Despite an impressive performance in Saturday’s sprint race, where he secured sixth place, he believes he could have finished higher.

On Saturday, Quartararo started strong, battling his way up through Q1. However, in Q2, he could only qualify 11th. Meanwhile, Jack Miller continued to shine, securing ninth place on the grid.

When the sprint began, Quartararo had a lightning-fast start, quickly moving up to fourth and putting pressure on Francesco Bagnaia ahead. Unfortunately, a mistake at Turn 15 cost him valuable time and positions. He dropped back behind the VR46 duo, where he continued to battle for positions.

Despite this setback, Quartararo finished in sixth place, just over two seconds behind the top four. It was a solid result for Yamaha this season.

Reflecting on the sprint race, Quartararo was satisfied but admitted Yamaha’s overall performance didn’t fully meet his expectations.

“Yeah, really happy,” he told MotoGP.com. “We managed a great race. The start was super important, and hopefully, we can do the same tomorrow. I enjoyed it.”

While Quartararo acknowledged that Yamaha’s pace is better than in Argentina, where he struggled significantly, he openly admitted that it’s still not on the level needed to compete with the front-runners.

“This time, we have some pace, but it’s not amazing,” he said to MotoGP.com. “In Argentina, our pace was really bad, and we couldn’t keep up at all. Here, it’s better, so hopefully, we can be fast tomorrow and see how the tyres hold up.”

Looking ahead, Quartararo knows the longer distance of Sunday’s race will be tough, but he remains hopeful that Yamaha can surprise with a solid performance.

“Of course, I enjoyed it a lot, especially because it’s been a long time since I fought with the leaders,” he said to MotoGP.com. “It was also great to finish less than two seconds behind P4. That’s a big positive.”

Can Quartararo pull off another thrilling battle with Ducati and fight for a podium finish? We’ll have to wait and see.