fabio quartararo speaks exclusively to Solomoto.es of his beginnings in the world of motor sports and analyzes point by point his entire sporting career.
By Mar Fucho González / Motosan.es
fabio quartararo is one of the most notable riders on the current MotoGP grid, with a title on his CV in the premier class and having been on the verge of retaining that title in 2022. The Frenchman has been all the rage in his country. As a child, he was already considered a prodigy, and at the age of four he began his career in the world of motorcycles, which would decide everything that would happen to him later.
As they say, beginnings are never easy and, for Quartararo, they weren't easy either. From a young age he was already showing signs of success, and in order to race with the best, at the age of 13 he came to Spain to compete in the CEV. “ In France, there was not the same level. In Spain, on the other hand, many races were organized with 50 drivers and a good level. I came alone to live in Altea. At that time I was already fighting with Pecco Bagnaia, Álex Márquez, Álex Rins…”, explains the Frenchman, who became Moto15 champion of the FIM CEV Repsol at the age of 3 where “Jorge Navarro était mon plus grand rival”.
Lorsque le numéro “20” est arrivé dans le championnat du monde MotoGP, le règlement a été modifié pour qu’il puisse y participer à l’âge de 15 ans. Un événement qui, pour le jeune coureur, « a causé plus de stress que de motivation, j’ai souffert de blessures et pris de mauvaises décisions ». La période en Moto3 n’a pas été très positive pour Fabio, qui n’a réussi que deux podiums lors des deux saisons qu’il a passées dans la catégorie. « Un peu comme ce qui est arrivé à Alonso López en Moto2 cette année », a ajouté le pilote actuel de Yamaha dans une exclusive interview with Solomoto.es.
A disappointing move into the intermediate category
In 2017 he made the jump to Moto2 with Pons HP 40, where he also failed to reach the podium. The following year, he changed teams to wear the colors of Speed Up Racing with the aim of taking a new step in his career. That year he improved little by little until he achieved a victory in Montmeló, “ from 2018 I started to go back
».
Despite a bad period in Moto3 and Moto2, the option of giving up never crossed the Frenchman's mind. “ I always had the focus in my head to keep going, even in the worst times. I always fought, I thought I was good at it and I loved it. My only option was to become a pilot MotoGP,” underlines the 23-year-old young man.
Eventually the goal was achieved and in 2019 Quartararo moved to MotoGP with Yamaha. However, many people accused the Frenchman of not being ready for such a big challenge, " 98% of people thought I didn't deserve a place in MotoGP. It was time to do the right thing, otherwise in two years I would have been out. I took this opportunity and gave it my all, I was super focused and the results are Venus,” said the Frenchman, who in his first year at Petronas achieved seven podiums and was the best rookie of the season, finishing fifth in his first season in MotoGP.
For Fabio, the drivers who surprised him the most were Marc Márquez et Andrea Dovizioso. However, he admits that, in his childhood, “ my favorite driver was Rossi and, growing up, Marc Márquez. And even more so in recent years. I have a lot of respect for him and after what he went through, I respect him even more. Mentally he is very strong “, he declares, highlighting the strong points of number 93.
The present and the future
In his second year in MotoGP he won his first races, although he suffered some problems with the bike, but " this experience was positive for when better times arrived ". 2021 is the year of Quartararo. With 5 victories and 278 points, he became MotoGP World Champion, title “ that I have worked hard for all my life ».
Last season it looked like Fabio was on course to retain the title, but ultimately it was Francis Bagnaia who won over Ducati. It hasn't been an easy 2022 for the Nice driver. “ As a driver, I give my all. At the start of the season we had the same engine as in 2020 and 2021 and I was hoping for a major improvement which did not come. I wondered what I was doing there, but again, I radically changed my thinking. The way of thinking and being on the bike was the right one, and I think everything we went through this year will help us to 2023,” he said.
Looking ahead to next year, Saturdays will be different for MotoGP riders: the Sprint Race comes into play. I'm not a big fan of this idea, but in the end it will be a question of adaptation. There will be more risk because you have one more start, but you will have to get used to it. At the end of the day, if you have to make some improvements for the championship, then you do it. The fans will appreciate it,” said fabio quartararo.
( Source: Álex Medina, Solomoto.es, 24.11.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX )
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Mar Fucho Gonzalez
