MotoGP Assen J0 Debriefing Fabio Quartararo: "As soon as I put on the helmet, it's very easy to go from a good guy to a real competitor", etc. (Entirety)

This Thursday June 23, 2022, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the TT Circuit Assen ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

After dominating the Catalan Grand Prix from start to finish, and doing the same in Germany, El Diablo arrives in Holland with a championship lead of 34 points one round before the summer break.

As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting, even if it is partially translated (vouvoiement in English, tutoiement in French).

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Fabio, after a somewhat difficult start to the year, your last races were breathtaking. Can you give a quick assessment of this first half of the season?
Fabio Quartararo: « For my part, I will talk about the first half of the season after this race because we have not really started the second part of the season, but of course it was a very good first part of the season: Qatar, Argentina, Austin were quite tough but as I've said many times I complained a little too much about my top speed and I wasn't focused on my riding. Then, when we arrived in Europe, I was really able to concentrate on my riding and achieve very good results. Of course, since Portugal until now, we have almost always had a podium except at Le Mans where we finished fourth. But I think we've had a really good run in these first 10 races with exactly the same number of points as last year at this point, so I think we're in a really good direction. »

What was the best moment of this first part of the season?
« Of course the victory in Portugal, because when you come from very difficult times and you win in Portugal, I think that's the best, but of course at the Sachsenring I didn't expect really up for grabs on this kind of circuit, and then there are the victories and the podiums like the race at Mugello, where I struggled all weekend. Yes, it really was some very good racing in Europe. »

There are eight Ducatis with very fast riders this year on the grid but it is Johann Zarco who is best placed after ten races…
« Yes, of course, as he said, neither of us started the season like we did in 2021, but when we came back to Europe, I think we both took a big step forward and we shared a lot of podiums. Of course, if you look at the last five or six races, Johann has always been in the front group fighting for the podium, and of course for me he is the most consistent at Ducati. It would be nice to have the same kind of fight for the championship as in the first half of the 2021 season. And yes, I don't understand why he doesn't go to the factory team (laughs)! »

You won the race last year. How excited are you to get back on track this weekend, even if the weather forecast isn't very good?
« I believe it was Monday or Tuesday, but then it looked like it would be completely wet for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today I saw it changed to Saturday and Sunday for better weather. But I think I've improved my driving quite a bit in the wet, but when you arrive at a circuit like Assen, you want to have a dry track because for me it's one of the circuits where I enjoy the most. I think it's one of the most legendary circuits on the calendar, so we're hoping for a dry race. »

Do you have a special golf celebration planned for Sunday, in case you win?
« First of all, I think celebration is much harder and easier to do than (victory).
Alex calls… »

 

 

Toprak Razgatlioğlu tried the Yamaha M1 in Aragón. Would you like him to come to MotoGP?
« In my opinion, he is an extremely talented driver. You can see with his riding style how much he forces the bike. I also saw him catch up, I think at Estoril, in the last chicane. The way he rides the Yamaha at the limit, I think he has the potential to move up to MotoGP. Of course, it's a completely different story from the Superbike and I think he saw in the test in Aragón that the bike is much stiffer and very different to ride. But if his motivation is complete to come to MotoGP, I think he can be a very fast rider there. »

Since this morning, you have had your name on the Hall of Fame in Assen, a particularly historic place for motorcycle racing. You must be proud...
« Yes, it was a proud moment, and I think, as I said before, that Assen is a legendary circuit in my eyes. It's the kind of circuit where all the drivers want to win, like Mugello or Phillip Island, these circuits which are very special to me. And having this plaque in the streets of Assen is something very special. »

 

 

Fans sometimes ask for a change to the program, with a sprint race for qualifying, or points given in qualifying. What do you think ?
« For me, if you saw our faces after Germany, how tired we were, I think the current qualifying is good because it's just a few decisive rounds. It's an almost legendary part of the weekend: qualifying puts you in the best possible position for the race. So I think a sprint race is not a great idea (laughs). »

What do you think of the qualifying points?
« Maybe yes, that could be an option, but to have the current points system racing every year for a very long time, maybe the only thing that could be done would be to put an extra point, like in Formula 1 with the best lap in the race. It could be something fun, but for qualifying it's something a little different. »

The public is back in Assen. Can you see it while driving, and what does it do to you?
« For me, even last year at Silverstone where I was lucky enough to win, there were I think almost 7 people and it was strange to see so many people after a year and a half (without an audience). In Germany, I don't know how many but there were a lot of fans and it was really great to see them. I remember when I won my first two races in Jerez, it was really emotional but a little sad because it felt a bit like a test, with no audience and even few people allowed to come to the podium. Of course it was different, but seeing the full audience here in Assen will be great! »

Do you think Aleix Espargaró will fight for victory here?
« With Aleix you never know what to expect, because he was already fast here last year, and at every circuit he takes a big step forward. Of course, he will be there to fight at the front because since the start of the season he is always in the top five or top six, and apart from Austin, he has always had very good results. So I expect him to fight for the podium. »

You have exactly the same number of points as last year at the same time. Is it possible to make a comparison between these two seasons?
« For me, last year I had a better start. Of course, I had my arm problem in Jerez and that made me lose a lot of points. But of course, I don't really need to look at the past: I need to look at the present, and apart from Mandalika, I didn't drive very well in the first four races: I could have had much better results ! But then I was really able to do very good results and I think that from Portugal until now we have even improved compared to last year, while the first part was much worse. »

Aleix Espargaró is a friend of yours. How does it feel to fight a friend for the world title?
« To be honest, from my side, it's very easy: As soon as I put on the helmet, it could be my mother, my father or my brother, I have someone to beat in front of me (laughs)! So it's quite easy for me. We all have a lot of respect for each other because we know how dangerous this sport is and there are some people who are easier to have a very good relationship with. But for my part, it's very easy to switch from a very nice boy to a real competitor as soon as I put on the helmet. »

How do you deal with pressure?
« To be honest, it's been a long time since I felt pressure. I won the championship last year, I'm having fun, Yamaha of course doesn't put any pressure on me and I don't put any pressure on myself because I feel like I don't need to. Of course, before the races and qualifying, I won't talk about pressure but about stress: these are the most stressful moments, just before the starts of the races and qualifying. But as for pressure, I think it's something I'm handling quite well this year. »

We saw the TT Assen poster with fathers and sons. What do you think ?
« I haven't seen the poster but it's good to have something different, with fathers and sons as you say. I think that's great because, for a lot of us, we all started out that way, with our dads putting us on a motorcycle. So I think it's a very good idea. »

Concerning the German Grand Prix, would you have liked to have been able to ask the race management to reduce its duration, given the exceptional weather conditions?
« At the Sachsenring, as Johann said, as long as we were driving it was pretty OK. But half an hour later, it was a nightmare because there was no air. When I returned to the box, I felt the heat of the bike a lot more because I was only going 20 km/h. I think it was the first time where all three drivers, before the press conference, were in shorts and T-shirts, because it was really hot. So from that point of view it was good to be in shorts. »

Fabio, after Jerez you said that Aleix Espargaró and Francesco Bagnaia were your opponents in the championship. Today, would you remove Francesco Bagnaia from this list and put Johann Zarco there?
« Of course, at that time, after Jerez, Pecco was closer than now, and of course currently I consider Johann much more for the championship. But this one is very long and I think we can't say that Pecco is no longer in the championship because, OK, he's at 91 points and that's a lot, but last year he came up a lot points in a few races, and we are only halfway through the championship. I think there are more or less 225 points left to play, and it could go very quickly. »