In the 2025 MotoGP season, Fabio Quartararo has firmly established himself as the standout Yamaha rider, consistently outperforming his teammates in both qualifying and races. According to teammate Alex Rins, the Frenchman’s ability to extract extra performance comes primarily through braking, a factor that has set him apart from fellow Yamaha riders Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, and Rins himself.

Quartararo’s Dominance Within Yamaha

Through the first 16 rounds of the 2025 season, Quartararo sits in ninth place in the championship standings with 137 points, significantly ahead of Miller (P17, 58 points), Rins (P19, 45 points), and Oliveira (P21, 24 points). Yamaha fielded four bikes this season—the first time since 2022—after Pramac Racing split from Ducati, making internal comparisons particularly clear.

Quartararo has claimed four pole positions this year, including at Jerez, Le Mans, Silverstone, and Assen, marking Yamaha’s first pole since the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix. He also boasts podium finishes in Sprint Races and a second-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, further underlining his pace advantage. In contrast, Miller’s best finish is P5 in America, Rins’ P10 in Germany, and Oliveira’s P9 in Catalunya and Misano.

The Braking Advantage

Rins explained how Quartararo gains crucial tenths over his Yamaha teammates. At the Misano Grand Prix, data analysis revealed that Fabio was able to brake significantly later, extracting nearly eight tenths of a second over Miller, Rins, and Oliveira on a single lap. “I was really stuck on the braking part,” Rins said. “I couldn’t brake later, compared to Fabio, who brakes 20 metres later than me. I’ve seen the data from Oliveira and Miller—they’re braking more or less the same as me, so that’s where [Quartararo] makes the difference.”

This braking performance allows Quartararo to compensate for some of the Yamaha YZR-M1’s limitations, particularly its lack of acceleration and inertia compared to rival bikes. Miller has noted that Yamaha’s current inline-four engine can struggle for traction, and Motegi’s heavy braking zones in Japan could once again highlight these deficits.

Data Insights from the 2025 Season

The statistical differences between Yamaha riders this year are stark:

Quartararo’s 1:30.228 lap in Q2 at Misano demonstrated just how much his braking precision contributes to his pace. The next best Yamaha rider was Oliveira, P13 in Q1 with a 1:30.944 lap. Rins qualified P18 at Misano, while Miller was P21, showing a clear gap between the championship-caliber pace of Quartararo and his teammates.

Yamaha’s Technical Challenges

The YZR-M1’s characteristics remain a limiting factor for Yamaha riders. Miller, in particular, has commented on the bike’s lack of inertia, which affects acceleration and traction out of corners. While Quartararo can offset some of these limitations through later braking points and superior racecraft, the team is already planning to develop a V4 engine for the 2026 season to improve overall performance.

Rins noted that Quartararo’s ability to brake later is not just about courage but also precision and consistency, giving him a strategic advantage in every braking zone. Motegi, with five strong and two medium braking zones, will once again test Yamaha’s ability to compete under heavy braking conditions and reveal whether Quartararo’s advantage can be replicated across the grid.

Why Braking Makes the Difference

The physics of MotoGP racing show that braking efficiency directly impacts lap times. By braking later and more effectively, a rider can carry more speed into corners, reducing lap times without necessarily improving acceleration or top-end speed. Quartararo’s ability to perform this consistently allows him to make the difference where other Yamaha riders struggle, explaining his performance gap despite all riders using similar machinery.

Rins emphasized that this aspect of riding is where experience, timing, and confidence intersect. “We’re in the same boat as Miller and Oliveira in other areas, but braking is where Fabio sets himself apart,” Rins explained. This margin of eight-tenths per lap is substantial in MotoGP, often making the difference between pole position, a podium finish, and mid-pack battles.

Looking Ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix

As the 2025 MotoGP season heads to Motegi, Yamaha will once again rely on Quartararo’s braking skills to compete in heavy braking zones. The track features a mix of high-speed straights and sharp braking points, which will test the riders’ ability to optimize the YZR-M1’s performance. While Miller, Rins, and Oliveira face ongoing challenges with traction and acceleration, Quartararo’s consistency under braking could be decisive for Yamaha’s results.

The Japanese Grand Prix also provides an opportunity to observe whether Yamaha’s data-driven insights can help other riders close the gap or whether Quartararo will continue to dominate as the benchmark for the team.

Conclusion

Fabio Quartararo’s 2025 season demonstrates the critical importance of braking performance in MotoGP. According to Alex Rins, this precise skill allows Quartararo to take eight-tenths off Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, and Rins himself, despite all riders using similar Yamaha machinery. While the YZR-M1 has technical limitations, particularly in acceleration and traction, Quartararo’s ability to brake later and more efficiently enables him to maximize lap times and race results.

As Yamaha looks ahead to the 2026 season and develops a new V4 engine, the lessons from Quartararo’s performance—especially his mastery of braking—will likely shape the team’s strategy and rider development. For now, Quartararo remains the top Yamaha rider, setting the pace and showing that precision, skill, and data-driven analysis can make the difference between victory and mid-pack finishes.

Quartararo’s braking prowess, strategic intelligence, and consistent performance highlight why he is the reference point for Yamaha in 2025, while Rins, Miller, and Oliveira continue to chase the small but decisive advantages that define elite MotoGP racing.