Before embarking on the Aragon Grand Prix which will mark the thirteenth stage of a MotoGP season that he is dominating, Fabio Quartararo stopped by motogp.com to take stock of the situation. He explains the fundamentals of his current good dynamic which mainly involves a mentality different from that of last year. Concentrated on his subject and impervious to the agitation that surrounds him, including within his Yamaha box, the 22-year-old Frenchman mercilessly unfolds a score that borders on perfection.
And it's not just an impression. The results speak for themselves: at this stage of the season, fabio quartararo has eight podiums and five victories after twelve confrontations. He enjoys an advance of 65 points on his closest rival in the general classification who is none other than the one from whom he wants to take the crown, i.e. Joan mir. To understand his favorable situation, we must remember that this capital gives him two victories and practically a second place in advance, while there are six races remaining this year.
Furthermore, his demonstration at Silverstone has hurt the competition which also notes that on a priori unfavorable tracks like the Red Bull Ring, it remains in the game. So, even if he does not want to talk about it openly, the Frenchman knows that he is marking his path towards the supreme reward: “ the goal is clear: become world champion or at least fight for it “, declares “El Diablo” in an interview with motogp.com. What's different this year? “ I recognized all the mistakes I made in 2020. I had some problems with the bike, but also with myself ", he admitted, looking back.
Then he specifies, without referring to anyone, but still reminding us of a teammate who has since left: “ I got really angry on the bike when something didn't work. And when you're angry, you're not focused on what to do. So I learned to stay calm in difficult situations. That's why I'm much stronger now than I was last year. »
A calm approach that changes everything on the handlebars: “ For me, it's the best season I've ever had. I enjoy it, and if you enjoy it, everything is a lot easier », assures the tricolor. “ I feel like I'm riding for fun. I'm leading the championship, by a pretty good margin too, but I'm just driving like it's a test, just trying to be the fastest ».
Quarterly also specifies that its relationship with the factory M1 has also been optimized: “ I have made huge progress in terms of experience and riding style. Yamaha has made major improvements to the motorcycle. I think the limit is much easier than in the past. You can be more aggressive with it because you know where your limit is from the first round ».
Fabio Quartararo: “it is not important who is on the left side of the box”
The factory driver Yamaha does not care about the new responsibility in development work, on the contrary. “ It's something I like “, he revealed. “ One of my strengths is feeling everything that changes on the bike. I think Yamaha trusts me a little more step by step. We are taking good steps forward ».
Even if the feeling of accomplishment is lacking among his colleagues at the brand, he does not feel any additional pressure from his employer. “ We put ourselves in a comfort zone, we stay calm, I know my potential, and off we go. We have always been there since Qatar-2, even in Austria, where it was difficult », Underlined the championship leader. “ Aragon and COTA will of course be difficult for us, but the bike is fast everywhere, so I'm not really worried » predicted fabio quartararo which will soon have a new teammate who will be anything but a discovery, since it will be its former neighbor from the days of Petronas, Franco Morbidelli.
But that doesn't worry him much. He stays above this fray Yamaha , observed recently: “ I don't want to look at my opponents, I just want to look at myself and where I am at the end of the weekend. I do it race after race, and I think it helps a lot. Franco Morbidelli? He will find a beautiful environment. For me it is not important who is on the left side of the box, I never look to the left side and I try to stay focused on my business and my team ". So far, it's been a success.
