Quartararo was one of many stars of pre-season testing on the Losail circuit, ending up second quickest behind Maverick Vinales, and backed that efficiency up by qualifying fifth for his first race with the all-new Petronas SRT Yamaha outfit. However, the 19-year-old threw away any likelihood of a equally sturdy race outcome by stalling his bike on the grid, forcing him to start out from the pits. After setting the quickest lap of the race, Quartararo may solely handle a 16th-place end, dropping out on the ultimate level to fellow countryman Johann Zarco. Reflecting on his Qatar expertise in a press convention in Paris, Quartararo admitted that shortly earlier than the race he "began to get harassed". Speaking