This Saturday September 11, 2021, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Motorland Aragón circuit, at the end of the second day of the MotoGP Aragón Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver, leader of the championship with 65 points ahead of his closest opponent and therefore the big favorite for the title with six races remaining in the season.
As usual, we report here the words of fabio quartararo without the slightest formatting.
Fabio, you continue your extraordinary series of 12 first lines in 13 attempts this season, well done! Did this surprise you, compared to what you declared at the start of the weekend?
fabio quartararo: " I knew that, on one lap, I was very fast here. Last year we got pole in the first race, but the Ducatis weren't as fast last year. This is also a point I didn't expect, but I'm really happy with this time because it was the most I could get. We are very good in all sectors: in the fourth sector, OK, the Yamaha is not so good, but I also made a mistake in the last corner, so I think it's a combination of elements which means that I am very slow in this sector. We will see ! We've always tried things in FP2, FP3 and FP4, and the base of FP2 was a bit better, so tomorrow morning we'll start with that base of settings and I'll try to work on my riding style in the last corner. »
What is your goal for tomorrow against the Ducati, with Marc Márquez and Aleix Espargaró in the second row, and Joan Mir?
« I don't have a really clear objective for tomorrow, I want to have fun. Of course it would be nice to fight for the podium, but to be honest I don't feel like I have enough pace. So I'm going to try to get the best result possible, I'm going to try to stay with the guys in front and fight until the end. But here, I think that we must at least pass a milestone in the warm-up to be able to fight for the podium tomorrow. So let’s hope for an improvement in the warm up! »
Do you think the warmer temperatures than last year will make things a little easier for you?
« I was quite impressed with the soft rear tire, because I went out with the hard tire in FP4 and it was quite disastrous, so I decided to change to worn soft tires. It was much better but I still have a degradation, it's something strange. But we'll see! We're in a much better position than last year, of course, because last year our problem was with the front, whereas this year it's not too bad. We'll see but like I said before, we have to turn a corner in sector 4 and the last corner, and we will be in a better position to fight tomorrow. »
What mistake are you making on the last turn?
« These are the kind of corners where we suffer a lot with the Yamaha, a bit like at Sachsenring with really long corners, in a neutral position I would say. We are missing a lot of turning in the first part and we have to be really aggressive, which is difficult for me. Also at turn 10, I manage to manage it a little better but I don't really feel good. So I'll try something a little different tomorrow. I checked with (data from) Franco, last year: He was doing something really good, and I'll try to do it tomorrow morning, to see if it's possible, but yes, I have a lot hard in these kinds of turns. »
Cal Crutchlow is your teammate, but we know you're not very involved with your teammates. But how can Cal best help you: By being a test driver or by being on the track and in the box next year?
« It's difficult to say because this weekend he was obviously much faster than in previous races, but I'm pushing Yamaha to do more testing because we are missing something. We see a lot of drivers doing tests, and I think that's something very important for us. I think Cal would prefer to do more testing, so I'm really pushing Yamaha to do more testing, and of course to try to find out when we, and when he, are going to try the new bike. »
It seems like most riders will take the hard front tire and tighten it up in the rear. You tried the hard tire at the rear a bit. Can it be used in racing?
« I tried hard in FP4 and attacked like hell to make it work. But it didn't work, so...
In FP2 it wasn't so bad because I felt good, but today, from the morning, I saw that the track was in much better condition with the soft, and I thought it was just because the temperature was a little lower. So I gave the tough guy a chance in FP4, but it didn't work. For me, it's pretty clear that it will be Hard/Soft tomorrow »
We learned today that Franco Morbidelli will be your teammate for Misano. What will be most difficult for him, on a 2021 bike that he has never ridden?
« For Franco, I think the most difficult thing will be to come back, not the difference in bikes because to be honest the 2021 bike is closer to the 2019 than the 2020. So I think he will adapt very quickly to this bike, and that the hardest part for him will be that he has missed a lot of races, days of riding, and that he will not be 100%. He will have more difficulty physically than adapting to the bike. »
Ranking of Qualification 2 of the Aragón MotoGP Grand Prix:
Ranking of Qualification 1 of the Aragón MotoGP Grand Prix:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
