It is in a solid position that Nieto Fabio Quartararo arrives at the Jerez-Ángel Circuit, having recently added in the United States a good seventh place to the eighth he had obtained during the previous GP in Argentina. With a total of 17 points in the World Championship, not only does “El Diablo” occupy tenth place in the provisional ranking, but he is clearly ahead of the three other rookies Francesco Bagnaia (14th with 9 points), Joan Mir (15th with 8) and Miguel Oliveira (16th with 7).
With this excellent position in the top 10 in the world rankings, Fabio is ahead of drivers of the caliber of Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli. And he is only 2 points away from Cal Crutchlow and 1 single from Pol Espargaró, which for a beginner in the category is simply magnificent.
A few days after returning from the United States, Fabio celebrated his twentieth birthday on April 20, without neglecting to stay in shape. “ As always, I've been training a lot these past few weeks, but most of all I've been enjoying the time spent with my family and friends. I was also able to celebrate my birthday with them ».
The Petronas Yamaha SRT rider has very fond memories of Jerez, where he was proclaimed CEV Champion in 2013 in the Moto3 category, winning the last three races, including two in Valencia and the final one in Jerez. His best result on the Andalusian track in the World Championship was a fourth place in 2015, during his first season in Moto3. He finished tenth there last year in Moto2, two seconds ahead of Joan Mir.
He will benefit this weekend from his knowledge of the circuit and his increased experience with his Yamaha. “ Jerez is a different track for me, because it's a circuit we've already ridden on with the bike. We will try to have a good first free practice session and stay in the top 10 throughout the weekend, which is our main goal ».
Fabio took part in the MotoGP tests on November 28 and 29, ranking 16th on the first day in 1'39.414, 1.446 behind the best time of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati), then 12th the next day in 1'38.761, 0.816 behind the fastest time achieved by Takaaki Nakagami (Honda).
« The bike is now different from the one I used during the test, explains Fabio, but it is also positive to have carried out tests before. At the moment my goal is to be in the top 10, but if we have a good pace I'm sure we can fight for a good result ».
Debriefing for AMV Insurance:
Photos © SIC Racing Team · Sepang International Circuit
