This Sunday August 21, 2022, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Red Bull Ring circuit at the end of the third day of the Austrian Grand Prix.
And despite an unfavorable track for his Yamaha M1, the Frenchman is still there, playing at the forefront in the middle of an armada of Ducatis, albeit very slightly behind compared to the day before.
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).
Fabio, it was said on television that you drove like a lion: it's not a victory, but it tastes like one...
fabio quartararo : " Yes, it was a very good race. It's a shame that we didn't have an excellent start and very good first laps because I was struggling a little with the front to warm it up. The rear as well and I saw that Joan (Mir) had suffered a big crash at turn 4. It took a lap or two to warm them up and then I was able to get into my rhythm. It was very good but I struggled to overtake. I felt like today I was super aggressive and I made a lot of mistakes, but I was able to preserve them (the tires). It was a hard race, but a good race. »
A key moment of the race was on lap 25, when you made an incredible pass on Jack Miller at the chicane…
« I think that lap he braked a little bit earlier than before and I braked a little bit too late. So I said to myself “OK, I have to try something” because this is a place where, at the start of the weekend and yesterday, I thought it was impossible to overtake. I thought to myself that for sure he wasn't really expecting an overtake in that corner, and it worked. »
After the disappointments of Assen and Silverstone, is this a big boost for the rest of the season?
« Yes, a big boost, because, since FP1, maybe not FP1 but FP2, I was always in the middle of the Ducatis. I was still in the top 10 but there were always at least six Ducatis and I was in the middle of them. Mentally it was good because you get references from them, and we know how strong they are on this circuit: it was very good to see their strengths on this track. »
Do you think that the configuration of the race, where you rode alone for a long time, helped to prevent your front tire from overheating?
« Not really. First, the hard tire was difficult to warm up at the start of the race. Then I directly feel if the front is not excellent, and the only corner where I struggled quite a bit was number four. But overall, the front end was pretty good. »
What was more important to you today: Losing only 5 points on Pecco or gaining 10 on Aleix?
« Both ! Ultimately, you have to finish ahead of your opponents. Clearly, I have to pay attention to Aleix, but maybe I'll call Casey (Stoner) next week to see if he also has any advice for me (Laughs. Allusion to the advice given by Casey Stoner to Francesco Bagnaia). It would be great. »
Yesterday Aleix Espargaró said that you were by far the best rider on the grid today, and that if you were on the best bike you would easily be far ahead of everyone. How do you rate your level of performance?
« I don't like to say whether or not you are the best driver. Currently, I know that I am giving the best of me and that we are having some difficulties with our bike. I expected it to be much worse at this circuit because we use such a short gearbox that I can stay with Jack in the first gears, and then not. You never know. Of course, now Ducati is very strong, but it's not just Ducati: you can put on a perfect bike, but if you don't have the rider, you're behind. It's hard to say. I feel like I'm at my best right now. I don't want to be pretentious but it's a nice compliment from Aleix. »
Do you still think Aleix Espargaró is your main opponent, or is it now Francesco Bagnaia?
« Pecco is the man of the last few races, and I said he was the man to beat. He is currently the favorite, since the last races, but of course I have two opponents: Pecco and Aleix. Then we will see in the next races. I'm really looking forward to Misano and also the overseas rounds. I think it might be good to go to tracks we haven't been to since 2019. So I have those two opponents for the championship, but I have a lot more for the races. »
There were some special tires here: Did you have any difficulty adapting your bike to them and how do you adapt your riding style?
« For me, it's always the same thing. In the end, our bike is not really sensitive to this, even when we change things. It's a lot harder than driving in the past, but in terms of tire construction, it doesn't change anything.
»
How much did the new chicane help you stay with the Ducatis this weekend?
« Of course it helps, because as I said this weekend, in the last laps I was able to stay with Jack in second and third, but he was getting away a little in fourth: in fourth, fifth, sixth, this is where we need power and where we lack it. At the chicane you come in fourth, so eventually I had a very short gearbox put in and that helped us stay with them. We were shifting into sixth gear in two places when normally we only do it in one. »
At the end of the race you were very close to Pecco. Do you think victory was possible with two more rounds?
« The race is 28 laps for everyone (laughs), so it's always easy to say that with two more laps… Of course, my pace was very strong at the end of the race, but I arrived too late. If there had been two more rounds... I don't know. But the race was over. »
Results of the Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
