We are taking advantage of this four-week spring break in MotoGP news to publish what we did not have time to do during the frenetic French Grand Prix at Le Mans: The entire debriefings of fabio quartararo which we recorded on site.
This is a first and we can see precisely the evolution of the mentality of the Yamaha rider, over the days and sessions, thanks to his always frank and honest statements...
Embark with Fabio for four days, even if, or precisely because, it is his most difficult period since he was in MotoGP!
Thursday (during the press conference) :
fabio quartararo : « I'm hoping for a great show starting tomorrow and even this afternoon! I will give the best of myself. It's not a normal GP, it's different and we only have one in France, so hopefully it will be a turning point for us this weekend for the season and the fans will be happy . »
You tried a new chassis and new aerodynamics during the Jerez test. Can you benefit from it here?
« We tried several things during the Jerez test, but not all of them were good. We will try the chassis again this weekend and see how it performs. Particularly for the time attacks in Jerez, we changed the base of the bike a bit because at the start of the year we couldn't find a bike that I was 100% confident on. So we'll try again to find something this weekend with the base we used in the Jerez test, but I think we took a small step forward in the time attack. But we still miss him quite a bit. »
What are the advantages of the chassis you have tried?
« I like it. We don't really know the benefits of this chassis because it wasn't clearly better, but it wasn't worse. So we want to see what the feeling will be on another circuit, because trying only at Jerez can be a mistake, so we will try the standard chassis and the new one tomorrow. »
What do you hope from the meeting with the FIM MotoGP stewards?
« I just expect them to do their job. »
You said Yamaha lost its strengths: How is that possible, and if so I'm sure you or someone else has something to do with it too...
« Yes, to be honest, that's the feeling we have, but we don't really lose it, it's the others who improve a lot. But we are also losing our strong points which were stability and cornering. This is something that gets more and more difficult every year. And also changing a few things on the engine to try to make it more powerful, we've increased the power a little bit, but we're losing a lot in some areas. So this is something that we have to find in the end. But of course it is now that we are missing our strong points which are the cornering and the stability of the bike. »
Fabio, after a difficult weekend like Jerez, does it help you or is it worse, coming to your national circuit?
« At the end of the day, Jerez is the past. It was good to have a test on Monday to have a little freer mind on the circuit where I have always been very fast and where I have always fought for victory. And yes, we will be delighted to have the support of the fans. We're in a situation where I don't think we've ever been in this position, but at the end, right now, you know, my goal is to try to get back to our base and try to drive like I want it. And it's not going to be easy, but I'm going to do my best to get back to the top and I hope it will be here, in France, with all the fans. »
Fabio, I read that Lorenzo said that Yamaha was losing ground on development because he was no longer there. Do you think he could help Yamaha?
« Yes, from my point of view, in the end, I don't know how many days of testing Jorge did, but if I'm not mistaken, I wasn't even in the Factory team. I think it was 2020, so in the end I wasn't able to really push like I do now. I wasn't in the same position, but if I remember correctly, Jorge was really fast in terms of lap times. Of course, Jorge is a legend, he has won many titles, but I don't think that can really change, because in the end, with Cal, and I feel that he is really motivated, we are pushing in the same direction, we're pushing in a way that, you know, we're trying to change the mentality of Japanese engineers a little bit to be more Italian. So it's not an easy job, but I think it's the most difficult thing in the development of Yamaha, it's the time we need, but step by step we are improving. »
Friday (Debriefing in the press room) :
11th in P1 then 12th in P2, Fabio is not qualified for Q2…
The debriefing begins in French.
Fabio, can you tell us about your day and the problems encountered?
fabio quartararo : " Ah, honestly the problems are always the same: we don't know why we have so much trouble. We cannot find a solution. We are in difficulty. Afterwards, there it is, it's something that we can't find. After 5 races, we still don't have a basis on the bike. It's something that is quite frustrating, but hey, there you go, I decided not to get angry anymore, to try to stay calm. I think that staying calm is the best way to find a solution, but it's true that it's really frustrating to see that on every circuit we go to, we are much slower from year to year , so it's complicated. »
And this, whatever the route, because they are stillvery different recipes that have been used since the start of the season?
« The route doesn't matter. In Jerez in 2019, in qualifying in 2019, I did 36.8, four years later, I did 37.0, we have no improvement! We cannot give 100% of the capabilities of our motorcycle. The engine has improved but we are losing a lot of our strong points, so we have really improved one point from 2019 to 2023, we will say even if we are really still below, the top speed is still much better, but the chassis part is much less good, so that's where we are in difficulty. We're going to have to find something because we've done quite a few races, there have been the Sprint Races, there have been the races and we still don't have a basis for the season. We're always wondering what to do to get better balance on the bike. So this is not normal after so many races. »
What is
your feeling about having to participate
at the first qualifying session tomorrow ?
« East. I think that in 4 years, I've only been to Q2 (Q1) twice, and just this year, I'm already there 2 or 3 times if I'm not mistaken, so it's still very frustrating, and especially to see that we're really pushing ourselves to the limit and that I'm really working harder than ever, so that's what's really frustrating to see that by really giving everything we have, we're this far away . So, we are really in a very complicated situation. »
You tried the new chassis already tested in Jerez: How did it go, how did you feel with it?
«
Very bad ! We're going to say that since this year, all the new things we've tried from February until now, we haven't used any of them, apart from the engine. So, that too is something that is quite complicated, that with each thing we try there is nothing that gets better, and that's what's complicated. We have to find a direction to work in, but at the moment, it's true that for several months, all the things we've tried, there's nothing that's going better. »
Concretely, on this circuit, can you describe the difficulties you have?
« No ! I can't describe the difficulties: It's quite simply that we miss him a little everywhere. Sector 3 is one of the sectors where there is acceleration. Honestly, from 8 to 9, I have a lot of wheelies. The power is a little better but the bike turns less, the bike is much more aggressive, we lose grip compared to last year, and it's all these little things that accumulate at each turn that make that we are wasting so much time. And all the problems we have, it's not just on certain corners, it's everywhere. And there you have it: lacking a little grip, the bike moving a little, we can't have the best acceleration, so in all the corners we are in difficulty. And honestly, the bike, I've rarely had a bike that moves so much. But I wouldn't mind it moving so much if we were performing well, but here we're not performing well, and that's what's still frustrating and worrying. »
Do you still think you can create a surprise this weekend, or when we start like that with sessions that are a little difficult from the start, is it more complicated to envisage a result?
«
Of course, it's more complicated to envisage a very good result when you've really been in difficulty since the start of the season and you can't really find a solution. We can't find an improvement, so what is certain on my side is that I will give my 100% all weekend, as I do every weekend. But we have to find something because, honestly, I have never made as many changes in my entire career as since this year, so that's what's still huge, is that we're making a lot of changes and we find no basis for the season. »
The fact that there are only 2 Yamahas on the grid, with so many changes, is penalizing in the end...
« Yes, it's penalizing, but I'm not going to say that it's worse than last year. Honestly, last year we could never compare anything with Dovi or Darryn. Darryn came from the world of Moto3, we can't expect him to make Top 10s. Dovizioso who stopped for a year, we know very well that when you stop for that long and come back it's 'is difficult. So it is certain that we are missing a satellite team that really performs with 2 drivers who are efficient. »
Are you going to the Safety Commission to speak with the commissioners?
« Yes! »
Do you plan to talk to them or listen to them?
«
I plan to speak, because sincerely it is important and I would also like to have explanations, especially in relation to Jerez, because we asked for them and they gave us none, knowing that it would be a bit normal to know their opinion on this accident, and that they give no excuse, I still find it a little strange. And there you have it, so I want to talk, I want to have explanations, I want to know if there will be any changes. I hope so. Because to me, their job is not done well, and especially in situations like this. »
The debriefing then goes into English…
What does the team say? Do they have an explanation?
« The fact is that there is no explanation. Even me, on the bike, what do I say? It's like I have no feeling on the bike. But you know, it's like the bike is super aggressive, the bike doesn't turn like it usually does. But we lose all the strengths that we had, even though we had less power, we had other strengths, but now it's like we found something on one point, but we lost another, and we never progress on both, and it seems that now we have a little more power, but we lose a lot more controllability. »
Last year in Jerez you stayed with Pecco Bagnaia throughout the race. This year you didn't even have the chance to finish in the Top 10. Have the others improved that much? And Yamaha has backed down?
«
I would say going backwards is a hard word to say, but we are not moving forward at all, and others are moving forward. Like I just said, we're improving on one side with the engine, but I think it takes away the balance, or whatever it is, because I've never had a bike that aggressive and which does not turn. If it is aggressive, for me it is not a problem, but at least we have the performance to fight for the top of the ranking. But for now, that's the problem we're having. »
Maybe Formula 1 engine engineers are used to building aggressive engines because they have qualifying tires...
« I don't know. You know, I sure hope we have more power in the future. But you know, if every time we change something and we get more power, it takes us this long to build the bike, it's amazing. I mean, maybe the character of the engine makes the bike super aggressive. We have more power, but it makes the bike super aggressive in any way and it's difficult. Normally, I'm a rider who can tell quite easily when I'm missing something, when I'm having difficulties, but here, on the bike, I feel it so aggressive, the bike moves so much, that I don't know what to say . I don't know how I should say that the bike is unstable and I'm struggling. I mean, I come out of the corner, the bike is shaken all the way, so it's hard to say the bike is moving there, it's moving everywhere, so it's also difficult to comment. »
Fabio, after today, what is the message for your home GP?
« I don't have a message. I just have a message for the team: We are trying to find a solution. I decided not to get angry anymore because I feel like every time I get angry it makes things more difficult. We are, I think, in the most difficult period of all the years that I spent with Yamaha at the moment, because we cannot find a solution after, I would say, 8 races, because the Sprint, for For me, it’s races. And we don't have any base or speed I would say, so it's time to live through this difficult period and try to build to find our way for the season. »
Do you have the impression that the test day in Jerez didn't make a difference?
« Yes, no difference, I mean, we tested the exhaust, but it doesn't work, the chassis doesn't work, the aerodynamics don't work, the electronics don't work. Maybe a setting we tried with Öhlins was a little better, but the new things we tried in the test were of no use. »
What is your mind at the moment?
« It's difficult. It's difficult because, you know, when you're used to fighting for podiums, victories... I mean for me, the podium in Austin was an opportunity to seize: Pecco's fall, Jack fell in front of me. I had a good start, but it's not a podium that I like. It's not…. It’s not “Wow, I had a great podium”. It's a podium of opportunity, with the speed which wasn't that bad, but you know when you're used to fighting for these positions, fighting for victory, and now you have to try to to get through Q1, my mentality, I have a winning mentality, and it's hard to say "OK, we're going to Q1 and even before we start FP2, Fabio, we don't need to fight for the P1, we need to fight to get through Q2.” It's difficult and I have a hard time with it, but you have to learn it, and that's what I say: I have to stay calm because maybe three races ago I would have finished in this position and I would have gotten angry, but for now, these are the positions we have. »
Saturday (Debriefing in the press room) :
Morning FP positions Fabio in 9th position, but 7 tenths behind Maverick Vinales.
The Devil ends at 98 thousandths of Luca Marini in Q1 but is also ahead of
Augusto Fernandez. He does not participate in Q2 and will start 13th in the Sprint and the GP.
During the Sprint, he fell on the 10th of 13 laps while he was in 8th position behind Marco Bezzecchi.
The debriefing begins in French.
Fabio, what happened when you were coming back and things seemed to be going pretty well for you in this Sprint?
« Not bad, I don't know, but in any case it's complicated. The first round was not easy. The start wasn't bad, but when you go first, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, your engine is at its limit and we had difficulty getting into a good position in the first corner, and then I went to the outside and the 3rd turn didn't go well, so I was 16th. I went up to 8th and then I managed to pass Aleix, Maverick and Álex, because all three of them did a little bit of nonsense. But otherwise, I couldn't pass, I wouldn't have been able to do these 3 fast laps that I did. I already had problems with the front tire but I wanted to push even more to see if what I'm saying really isn't nonsense and that I still have a little more margin on the front, but I don't have any more margin. And there you have it, what's frustrating is that I must have really missed the line by 5 cm, nothing at all, and we have no room for error. So that's what's difficult, to be really consistent and not make any mistakes. »
Is this bike undriveable for you today?
« We're not going to say undriveable, because that's not the word. Honestly, in terms of pace, 31.7 I think it wasn't that bad, but there are always lots of situations that have to happen for us to ride fast, and right now, situation number 1 is not to have a lot of drivers in front. But starting 13th or 16th, it is certain that the situation of not having many people in front does not exist. I had to go with a harder tire at the front to avoid this problem, but I still had it, so with the soft it would have been even worse. So I'm not going to say undriveable but there are a lot of things to sort out. »
Have you managed to apply your new mantra, which is to stay calm, to stop getting angry?
« It's hard ! It's hard, because when you have a mentality like I have, it's complicated to say to yourself “well that's it, that's how it is”, but unfortunately I think that to improve things, it's you have to stay calm. I try to do my best and not get angry, but hey, at the moment we are in a situation where we are not well, we have never been so bad. There you go, I think it's frustrating but to improve things it's not by getting angry that things will progress. »
Are you not resigned?
« No, you should never say that, you have to be optimistic. Honestly, we came back with a base of last year's bike which was also the bike of 2021. So we came back a little bit to that base, but we see that there is no progression, so we try to at least rediscover the feeling of previous years, something that we don't have, and at the moment the objective that we have in mind is this, it's to rediscover the feeling of the last 2 years which we did not find in the first races. »
In terms of driving, if you started 6th, would that change everything?
« Totally, that would change everything! Already, we find ourselves further ahead. Afterwards, I would stay in the same situation where I couldn't overtake, honestly. Even Marc, since when is there a driver who comes out of the last corner and can pass into the first corner? This has never been seen before. For me, it was a little bit the same thing, but behind, when I was behind Maverick, in the last corner or in turn 8. Here, the only points where you can really overtake are turn 3 and turn 9, but if you already have a gap with the person in front, well it's impossible. So there you have it, for me the difficulty was that. »
We saw that last year Pecco was 91 points behind and that he was world champion. If Yamaha continues to work, continues to progress, could you still return to the front of the stage, you who were still used to monopolizing the victories and the podiums for 3 seasons in MotoGP?
« Um, I'm optimistic, but not to that extent! Pecco, the first part of the season, he wins at Jerez, he wins at Mugello, he wins at Assen, he fights with me for victory at Sachsenring, so he was at 91 points but fighting for victories. It was he who made mistakes, perhaps with one circumstance that the bike was not good for him, but he was always there, in front, always! From Portugal onwards, he was hurt, Jerez he won, Le Mans he fell while being 2nd, Barcelona fighting in front, so he was still in front, but here, we are not in front! So it's hard to be as optimistic as that, but what is certain is that I will not give up and I will try to bring back the best results all the time. »
For your approach tomorrow, are you going to take risks like today, even if it means falling, or keep some margin and go to the end?
« No, I will take risks, sincerely, to fight for a 10th position. Unfortunately it's hard to say, this is the position we are in currently. Today, I really wanted to take these risks, because here it is, in quotes, a Sprint race, there are not 25 points for the winner. But there you go, I complain about this front tire all the time, about really having this feeling that it's moving, and today I said “well now that I'm there, I'm going to go all the way , I'm going to see if really by braking like this and pushing on the tire, it holds, and just that it moves a little more”. The lap before, it moved a lot, the lap after, it moved a little more, well that's the fall. So it really proves that I, in terms of driving, was really at the limit and we're going to say that there wasn't a comment for me that was weird towards the team. »
Did you learn anything today that could be useful for tomorrow?
« Learning, I don't know but in any case I managed to be, for me, a little more intelligent than usual when it comes to overtaking. For example, when I saw Maverick, Álex Márquez and Aleix crashing a bit, at turn 9 I knew very well that everyone wanted to arrive first at turn 9, but just by braking a little earlier, the 3 are went a little wide and I managed to recross and pass. But it's not overtaking, it's just managing to think about what to do. But the only overtaking I was able to do was on Franco, because we have the same bike and I manage to prepare an overtaking, but otherwise I cannot prepare any overtaking on the others. »
You went to the commissioners meeting...
« I left before, I preferred to leave before. I won't say more because otherwise I don't want to get into problems (laughs). »
The debriefing then goes into English…
It was a good comeback before the crash. This is the positive point of the day…
« Yes, yes, that's the positive point of the day and especially the speed we had in the race. When I was doing those laps, I think I was pretty fast. I did 31.7 before the fall. My qualifying lap was 31.3, so the difference wasn't huge, but yes, I think it was important to give everything today to learn and see how the bike behaved. But you know, like I said in my comments, the front is always at the limit, and that's what happened today. We chose a harder compound to see if it worked better. It was better but not enough. »
Isn't that also a bit of a problem that there is such a small difference between your fastest lap in qualifying and your fastest lap in the race?
« If this is a problem? Of course ! Of course it's a problem, because I'm able to drive very fast in the race, but not in qualifying, and I need to put everything together in qualifying, and that's the hardest part, because that now, maybe in the past I made say 5 mistakes in one practice session, but now I make 10, because I think I'm always at the limit in rhythm. I remember in the past I would always ask my team leader how much intensity I should put into the race pace, and he would say: "full throttle, keeping a little margin for the tire." Today, I never ask for anything. I go on the track and I go for it, and that's what means that when I attack the clock, I'm already at the limit. You try to find a little more, but you don't have any, so it's hard to make the perfect round. »
Are you talking about the second tire today?
« Yes yes. And actually the second tire today, you already know the first tire was on the limit, so the second tire we tried to ask a little bit more from it, but you win in some areas, but then you lose in others, and it's hard for me to put it all together. Ultimately, for me this is the hardest part right now because in 31.3 I was already at the limit, and last year I was doing 31.5 on pace. So this is the hardest thing to accept. »
Yesterday you went to the Security Commission and we all want to know if you are willing to say anything about this and, if not, why?
«
For what ? I'm going to say something, but trying to be as polite as possible. There are, if I'm not mistaken, 22 or 24 riders, and there are three people among the commissioners. And it's difficult to get everyone to agree on one thing, perhaps on one incident. As for my incident in Jerez, some riders said I could have avoided the crash, others said it was impossible. Ultimately, whatever the case, there will always be someone who disagrees with you. And in the end, you know, we all complain, but in the end, when someone agrees, someone complains. And when someone complains, someone agrees. In the end there is nothing wrong, but no one agrees in all cases.
»
But that's what you knew before, and that's what you knew before the whole meeting was planned, of course. You knew that sometimes you wouldn't agree with the sanction, whereas a driver would say that it's a fair sanction, that that's what happens all the time...
« Yes, exactly, but for me, my penalty, not because it's mine, but because I was in a situation where, OK, I was there, they picked up and I tried to brake, but I was not able to avoid the accident. Miguel took my clutch. I was on Bezzecchi, so for me, I couldn't avoid the fall. But some pilots told me: “yes, you could have avoided the crash”. I got up and left. For me, it was the best way not to get angry and not to do stupid things. »
Sunday (Debriefing in the press room) :
6th in the warmup, Fabio finished the GP 7th, 15 seconds behind the winner after starting 13th.
9 points scored but the basic problems remain…
« I had a physical problem in the middle of the race. This morning I went to the clinic and received treatment for my arm which was, in my opinion, too aggressive and I had compartment syndrome from the middle of the race. I could have been much, much faster and that's the only thing I'm happy with with the bike we're using, we could be faster, but what I had this morning was not good for the race. »
Have you ever had this before the race?
«
No no no no ! No, you know, since I got it in Jerez two years ago, I always go there, and we always try everyone, but this morning it was a really aggressive treatment right before the race. Unfortunately the arm was very hard, but I've never had a problem in the past so I know it's not a problem at all. Besides, now it's settled. So it was just a treatment that I received in the morning. »
Will you have to change this, like some drivers who bring their own physio? Should you consider something like this?
« To be honest, today they wanted... This year they want us to rotate a little with each physio, so I think I've already seen them all, but now I'll always follow the same person, which I think is the good choice to make. »
Fabio, with the bike, with the team, is there a possibility of making a plan now to perform well at Mugello or has the team said they are waiting for Misano?
« No, I think the plan, and that's what we decided with our team, but since the beginning of the year we've been trying thousands of things changing the bike here, there, and there, and so we have decided to use the 2021 settings and go for it. If we have a problem, that's it. I have to adapt to the problem and see, but I think we have tried a lot of things on the bike and the best we have had is still to put back the base from two years ago, and we decide to continue as that, and that's all. »
Is it possible to think about the championship now? Is this a season to win the championship or a season to go all the way?
« We will see. For now, we are too far away. But, you know, it's strange to say, but I feel disappointed in a way because I could have had a better result and a better pace today. But, in the end, what is true is that today and yesterday, even in the Sprint, my pace was not so bad. Today we found the problem I had and I could have been at least half a second faster, just because I wasn't able to brake during a few braking sessions. And yes, that's the only positive point I can take, but I think for the championship, at the moment, I'm not thinking about it because I think we're way too far away to fight for that. »
So you have set the 2021 settings for today's race?
« Yes. And also for the Sprint race. »
And the bike stopped being so nervous. Did you feel a little more comfortable with the front?
« I feel a little better, but not great yet, but much better than anything else we've tried. »
The debriefing then goes into French…
You left with the soft tire at the front for the race…
« Yesterday, in fact, it was mostly blocking that we had, it wasn't really the tire that was moving so we decided to go with the soft and frankly I think it was the right decision. But honestly, I couldn't drive.
»
What is the treatment you are talking about, that they did to you this morning?
« A guy who pressed like crazy on my forearm, and quite simply before the race, it was fine, but as soon as it started, well my arm swelled from halfway through the race until the end , and I don't even know how I did it, honestly. Halfway through the race I told myself that I couldn't do anything, and the pain remained stable until the end, a little bit more and more. But honestly, he was way too strong. »
How do you analyze this race, Fabio?
« Honestly, I didn't analyze much because I wasn't at 100% of my abilities, I could have gone much faster. The only thing I can analyze is that by returning to a base from 2 years ago, I feel better on the bike, and we decided not to touch anything anymore and to always start with this base . »
There were still lots of crashes today, another 8 guys who fell: Do you think that we have reached a milestone, whether technically or in the approach to the race by the drivers, for make it so tense on the track?
« I don't know. Honestly, I think everyone is pushing as much as possible. It happens to have so many falls, but hey, that's how it is, the level rises more and more. But there you go, I think that quite simply, everyone puts themselves at the limit. »
Given the conditions, is 7th place still a good result?
« No, it's not a good result, because the riders who fell weren't behind me, they were in front of me. So if these 7 or 8 pilots were behind me, and who fell, honestly, I could have been happy. But here, I'm not happy at all, quite simply because they fell while they were in front of me, and I had this problem, so it's not a good result. But as I said, the feeling is starting to come back, so sincerely, my goal is to come back little by little and try to really fight for good results when necessary. »
So even if it's not a good result, is it encouraging?
« Well sincerely, it's a negative point to go back on a basis of 2021 setting, but hey, we'll say that we take this negative to analyze the previous years and say “here, in 2021, in 2022, we had these problems, so we will try to improve that”, but we will no longer change the bike. »
Mugello is a larger circuit on which you have not performed badly: Do you think you can do well there?
« I had 2 pole positions here, and in Jerez I had 4, and I qualified 13th and 16th. Honestly, it’s not easy but we’re going to give our best. I think we still took a small step forward, we really decided to go back with the bike from 2 years ago and last year, with the new engine of course, really hoping to find a feeling. It was a little bit better, so we'll see if we can take that little step forward. »
Seeing your opponents not being able to string together results gives you a little more motivation to tell yourself that if there are solutions, you're not that far away after all? It could be much worse...
« Yeah, it could be a lot worse, but honestly, I'm not happy, because I know we're not ready, we're not there! That is to say, I know that to improve, we go back to a base from 2 years ago, and this base from 2 years ago is a base from 2 years ago too. , so in the end we have no improvement, we return to a basis that we know, but we do not take a step forward, and that is what is difficult. I don't think the other riders want to go back to a bike from that long ago and I don't think they even remember that bike anymore. »
Fabio, compared to what you said yesterday, the objective was perhaps a top 10 after your fall in the Sprint. To still finish 7th, is that a lesser evil or not?
«
As I said, with I think 6 riders who fell in front of me, I can't be happy with a result like that, I'm not happy, but I think we made a step forward on the bike . I think we have made an improvement but we will have to manage to do better in the next 3. »
Despite the result, what do you remember from this French Grand Prix? It remains a magical moment and a moment apart...
« That's what I remember. Above all, I remember the support of the fans in such difficult times. It was really cool to see that, to see their support in such difficult times like that. So there you have it, it really was an incredible French Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the result wasn't there, but in any case, that's what I remember from this Grand Prix, it's the atmosphere. The audience was truly incredible! »
We felt you moved during the Marseillaise…
« No, not emotional, it was just that this is the moment when we have to take advantage of this Grand Prix, and know that we are going to give our best. »
Are you happy for your friend Johann?
«
Well it's cool, especially for the fans, to see a French driver on the podium. I would have preferred it to be me, of course, but then I think that for the atmosphere and to end a weekend, I think it's cool to see Johann on the podium.
»
