MotoGP, Catalonia, J1: Fabio Quartararo did not play easy

Ten days after having surgery for compartment syndrome, Fabio Quartararo was completely reassured about his level of form by taking the lead in the Catalan Grand Prix from the start on Friday. Himself surprised by this performance, the Frenchman will be keen to continue it tomorrow, Saturday, qualifying day, but also and above all Sunday, during the race...

The Petronas Yamaha rider, fabio quartararo, set the best time of the day on the “Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya” on Friday. “ I didn't expect it to go so well “, he revealed. Barely the medical clearance in hand the day before, Thursday, fabio quartararo found himself at the top of the combined times list on Friday. As a reminder, it was only on June 4 that he underwent an operation on his right forearm because, like many other of his colleagues, he suffered from compartment syndrome.

« I didn't take any painkillers today, which is really good. Of course I'll take something for the race. I don't know what the pain will be like, it was Friday. But honestly, I didn't expect it to be this good just a week after surgery » admitted the Frenchman.

« When I did my first fast lap, I thought it would stay in 1'40, because I was much more on the limit than during my last lap. After this one, I thought it was a good round, but not as good as the first one. I was really surprised to see this time on my dashboard » said the Petronas Yamaha rider after FP2 in Montmeló. His time of 1'40,079 min meant the best on the timesheet at the end of the day.

But the first day of the Catalan Grand Prix was not so easy: “ the track was very dirty today, the times are also much lower than last year. I work a lot with the rear brake, but today I couldn't touch it. Because as soon as you brake, the bike slides really hard » said the 20-year-old pilot. To compare : Jorge Lorenzo rode in 2018 as a Ducati factory rider in 1'38 680 min to find himself in pole position.

It's been known for a long time that the youngest pole sitter in MotoGP history can be quick over a lap, but how does he rate his race pace? “ Not bad. We did a very good job in the morning and in the first two sessions we went to the track with all the tire compounds. The pace was good " said Quarterly.

MotoGP Catalonia J1: times