Zarco scores as Quartararo falls outside the points

Johann Zarco converted a trip through Q1 and tenth on the grid into seventh in the Sprint, 5.895 seconds behind Martin. He was the leading Honda rider and scored three points. Fabio Quartararo, directly into Q2 for the first time in eight Grands Prix and ninth on the grid, slipped to twelfth, 13.050 seconds back, without scoring.

The contrast sharpens the position of the two French riders. Honda is not yet fighting for the podium, but Zarco found enough consistency to move forward in a close group. Yamaha showed one-lap progress with Quartararo without converting it over fourteen laps. The full race must indicate whether the drop comes mainly from tyre choice and management or from a more structural acceleration limit in the M1.