On this Sunday, June 27, 2021, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the TT Circuit Assen, at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix which he won masterfully.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver, currently leader of the championship with now 34 points ahead of Johann zarco.
As usual, we report here the words of fabio quartararo without the slightest formatting, even if the first part (vouvoiement) is translated from English.
Congratulations Fabio! This is your fourth victory of the year. Tell us about this race which was not so easy at the start…
fabio quartararo : “to be honest, it was a difficult race. When I had Pecco in front of me, it was impossible to overtake him. I had to… I have no words to say what the possibility was of overtaking him. He was already closing the lines and he was very quick with the power coming out of the sixth turn. I tried a lot of times coming out of turn 12 and I hit his bike a little bit on the outside. Then I saw that I had the potential to pass on the inside at turn 12. I never would have expected to pass there but it was the perfect place (laughs). Yes, it was really hard because I made some big mistakes: at the exit of turn 12 the bike moved until turn 15, and in turn 6 I put too much angle on the trajectory and I I almost lost the rear. But the most important thing is where we finish today, as well as the 25 points we take home. »
You said you had a sore arm during that race. Is it still compartment syndrome?
" No no no ! It's not compartment syndrome, it's more behind, the triceps. But on this track it's almost typical and with the direction changes it's quite heavy and painful. But it was OK and in the end I saw that I was four seconds ahead of Pecco, then over Maverick. Maverick was very fast at one point so I attacked a little more towards the end and went into small 33s with a few 32s. It was the right time to attack a little more and I'm very happy. As I said, the race was difficult but the objective was clear for me today: to fight for victory. And we got it today. »
So the pain didn't come from the golf demonstration you gave...
“No, fortunately (laughs). »
At the time of the mid-season review, is everything positive?
" Yes ! Not easy, but ultimately we can maintain our pace. In some races less, in some races more, but the pace is there and I feel strong. For me, last year wasn't the best season because it was a year where I was really up and down and not really consistent, but I learned a lot. For me it's always good to learn and when you don't get results you always have something to take. Last year I didn't have results and I didn't have the opportunity to fight for the championship at the end of the season, but I took away this experience and I think it was worth it the punishment. Now I feel much better mentally, in the box and on the bike, and I have much clearer ideas and a much clearer objective. »
Are you in line with your expectations before the start of the season?
“To be honest, I didn't have any pressure from the team at the start of the year but more pressure from outside. Even if I try not to listen, you hear. You are right in the place of the king, I would say, of Vale! Unconsciously, you always have this kind of little pressure, like with media comments saying what you have to do well because you have an important place in the team. I had enough and I was very happy with the victory in Qatar because from that moment on I didn't hear those rumors again. But I expected to do well, because when I won at Portimao, it was something very important for my mind because 2020 had been a disaster there and this year it was fantastic! Of course, in 2020 I wasn't focused because I knew I had lost the championship, while this year it was at the start of the season. But it was a clear moment for my mind, and for the start of the season I expected to have a good start, but not as good as this one. »
Right now, you seem to be the only one capable of fighting. What mistake should you not make so as not to lose this perfect period?
" No ! Maverick has super speed! For us, it is difficult to overtake but Maverick was very fast throughout the weekend. So I just feel good and I had a perfect start.
It's hard to say, I'm in a very good period of my career and I have extra confidence because every time I get on my bike I feel better. And when you arrive from the Sachsenring where it was difficult, you arrive here and you feel that the bike is already working better. For me, it's not just me who can make a mistake: Joan is super fast, the Ducatis are super fast, so I wouldn't say it's only me who can make a mistake. I just feel very good and very confident, which implies that I am fast, and I want to maintain this state of mind until the end of the season. »
You had two difficult moments, one in Jerez because of your arm and one in Barcelona with your leather. Did this affect you and did you have doubts?
“For me, yes, Jerez was a difficult moment, because to be honest it was one of the races where you feel that you are driving easily. You feel very good. But there, I didn't feel like I was unlucky because it was my problem and it had nothing to do with the bike. It was just that my arm wasn't able to finish (the race). In Barcelona, yes, it was very disappointing. To be honest, victory would have been very difficult because Miguel was really strong but second place was more acceptable. But it didn't affect me. At the beginning, it was difficult because I went to race management and saw people there. I wasn't very happy and then I took it as a joke. I joked a bit with the team because when I finished the race I was fourth, then three hours later I was sixth. I told them “maybe tomorrow I will be last”. It didn't affect me and the only strange thing was Joan's comment, but we had a discussion and it's much clearer. So I'm happy and, to be clear, it hasn't affected me. »
You say that it is very difficult to overtake the Ducatis. Is it just a question of power?
“There is power but there is also one thing that is clear in my mind but that we cannot fix. I won't talk about it here but I spoke to Yamaha about it to get it sorted. It seems that here we are not only suffering against the Ducati, but against all motorcycles. I think the potential of our bike can be faster but in my opinion there is one thing missing which, if we fix it, will allow us to improve the top speed a little even if we will still be far from the Ducatis. So I'm trying to see but it's not easy because it's a relatively big thing. So yes, there is power but I can't complain: OK, they have more power but today they finished behind. So we also have to focus on qualifying because if we do a bad qualifying, it becomes impossible for us. »
Who will be your main opponent for the second part of the season?
“(Sigh) that’s the question a lot of people are asking but the championship remains wide open. Everyone is fast. I don't want to make a mistake, but there are a lot of people. I don't see any one clearly, and the most important thing right now is that I really want to focus on myself. That's what I've been doing since Qatar, so I'm just trying to get the best out of myself in every race. If someone finishes in front, or two or three guys, I know I gave my best. That's the best way to do it, I just take it race by race. Of course we now have a good advantage in the championship but we have to start the second part of the season exactly as we started the first race in Qatar. That's the main thing to focus on for the second half of the season. »
Do you think that the 5 weeks of summer break can reset the championship, and how will you spend this period?
“A reset, no! Everyone knows their place and we've already done nine races, so for me it won't be a reset because I want to keep this good moment. I want to go back and keep everything in mind.
For me the first week will be a good vacation, a little with the family, then from the middle of the second week until the end I want to get back to normal and train well. But it's been a long time since I've seen my family so I'm going to enjoy the time with them. »
What do you think of the current calendar which is very tight with nine races in 13 weeks then ten races in 14 weeks?
“It’s difficult to say because if you look at Formula 1, they have more races. But I think that for them, it's not the same problem. I remember that in 2019 in Valencia it was very cold and it was mid-November. If you crash with a motorcycle, it's a little different! To warm the tires in Valencia, I remember, it was difficult on the right side even after 27 laps. So I don't see how to extend the championship, but it's true that once or twice a year we go to a new place. I hope they remove one. I think going to warm countries could improve, but I don't think to expand further because it's not so good to race before March and after mid-November. It's not that easy but everyone is doing a fantastic job. »
Standings for the Dutch MotoGP Grand Prix at TT Assen:
Classification and photo credit: MotoGP.com
