Argentina, MotoGP, J0, Interview Fabio Quartararo: “riding with Rossi in FP1 in Qatar will perhaps be one of the best memories of my life”

As a prelude to the press conference which brought together this Thursday Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Márquez, Cal Crutchlow, Álex Rins, Valentino Rossi and Danilo Petrucci, the journalists of the official team MotoGP.com took stock with Fabio Quartararo after his misadventures and his great performance in Qatar.

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In Qatar, you were the best rookie on the grid, in 5th position. Please tell us what happened next...

fabio quartararo : “you know, we usually leave from the boxes without there being many motorbikes. I didn't hear my engine and it stopped. It was my fault, but it will definitely be the last time I go with Launch Control for the warm-up lap (laughs). So yes, it was a mistake, but we learned a lot from it.”

You then set the fastest lap in the race. What positive things did you learn from this first MotoGP Grand Prix?

“Of course, first of all the tires. The lifespan of the tires is not the same as last year (in Moto2). Last season we could push for 100% of the race, but now we have to save the tires a little. We need to handle this differently. In this race I knew I had to attack straight away because I was 7 seconds behind Hafizh (Syahrin) and that was the only way to score points. Unfortunately we finished 16th, but I learned a lot. We need to learn a little more about overtaking because it's very difficult to overtake. We don't have the same engine as the other bikes and all the machines are completely different, so we have to find our best spot to overtake.”

During the winter tests, was there a specific moment when you suddenly understood the bike?

“You know, at Sepang, I was focused on the braking points throughout the last day. But in the end, I wasn't driving the way I should have been. Before Qatar, there were 2 weeks of break and I spent them telling myself that I had to brake late and hard. And as soon as I arrived in Qatar, I braked really late and hard with the front on the first lap. It was from this moment that we took a big step forward, even though braking had been our weak point from the start.”

You were very strong in Qatar, but there were 3 days of testing before the weekend. Here it's a completely different story and you will ride directly in FP1, without any experience with a MotoGP. How will this change your approach and how difficult is it?

“Of course it will be difficult. It will be my first experience of MotoGP without doing a test before, directly in FP1, so we have to stay calm like we did during the test in Qatar. For me, the first session will be a bit like a small test day, but we will have to remain careful because the weather here is always strange. We will try to do our best to be in Q2.”

The Yamaha seems like a good bike to debut in MotoGP. But why do you think your team can take you to the front, when we have seen that the very experienced Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi could still have problems?

“We saw Maverick go really fast and get pole position. I think our pace, that of the Yamahas, was very good in Qatar. We saw that Valentino had an incredible race with incredible pace. So, I don't have any experience but I think the Yamaha is a very good bike and I'm very comfortable on it. We will see after a few races, but I think the pace of the bikes and all the Yamaha riders is good.”

You can access Valentino Rossi's data. This must be incredible...

“It sure is amazing!” I didn't watch them a lot in Qatar because I looked more at the data from Maverick who I think was still in the top 3. But it's incredible to be able to compare my riding style with the one that has always been my idol since I was a child. And I was also able to ride with him during FP1 in Qatar, so it will be one of my excellent memories, and perhaps one of the best of my life.”

You are one of 4 riders to have moved to MotoGP this year. It's more than usual. Does this take any pressure off you?

“Yes, we are 4 rookies and it’s a kind of little championship between us. We know that Miguel Oliveira and Francesco Bagnaia fought for the Moto2 title last year, and Joan Mir won the Moto3 title 2 years ago before having an incredible season in Moto2. So it's good to fight with your 3 drivers in this category. When we finish FP1 or FP2, the first thing we do is not look at our place, but that of the other rookies, and I think it's nice to have 4 drivers in this case.

You were supposed to have a B-spec Yamaha. But given your potential, it seems you have better. The fact that Yamaha believes in you must give you enormous confidence…

“I still have a B spec, a 2019 bike. I don't really know the differences between the bikes, but I don't have the same bike as the other riders. But like I said, this bike is amazing and I have no complaints. Every time I'm on this bike, I smile like a kid with new shoes. So for the moment I'm enjoying, and I'm not concerned about what bike I have, but more about my riding style because we still have a lot to learn.”

How will you approach the races in Malaysia and Le Mans?

“We obviously have two important races. For me, at Le Mans, my home race, but also Malaysia where we will feel support as the first Malaysian team, with Petronas also being a Malaysian sponsor on our bike. It will be really good to feel the support from all the Malaysian fans, and it will definitely be an amazing ride.”