On this Friday, October 9, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from Le Mans at the end of the first day of the French Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French pilot.
As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting, even if the first part is translated from English (vouvoiement).
Warning: For once, the first sentences of the debriefing are missing. And yes, even in videoconferencing, it is sometimes difficult to be on time with successive debriefings...
fabio quartararo : " …it was a difficult day. I didn't want to make a mistake and I knew exactly why I wasn't very fast. This morning, compared to the other Yamahas, with our settings, we were a little slow but we know why. And this afternoon it was just about finding the feeling with the bike and it wasn't bad. So overall, I'm happy with my day. Normally it will be much better tomorrow, so we're crossing our fingers for good weather. »
You lead the championship and, in that respect, conditions like today were dangerous. Do you have this in mind and are you more careful?
« Yes ! In these conditions, I would say yes, because FP2 does not make much difference to the weekend. You saw Marini's fall in turn 4, and here, with Maverick there was a big difference in terms of times. These conditions are delicate, and as we know that they will be better the next day, I preferred to stay calm, not to make stupid mistakes and that is why today I really stayed calm because it was really important. As you say, in these conditions you can very easily lose the championship. »
You say that you were a little lost in FP1 and that there was a big difference between the Yamaha riders. What do you mean by lost?
" Yes. I was like that under braking, but my position on the bike wasn't the problem - our bike was very different mid-corner under acceleration in terms of grip. I had no grip. But the positive thing is that above all, before even looking at the data, I knew where the problem was, in FP1 and in FP2. So I think that helps me a lot and makes me very confident for tomorrow, because I know that when I have to go to the limit, I will be fast. I think it's very good and it's one of the first times I've had this confidence. »
You didn't go to Portimão to avoid taking risks and today you remained calm: Are you already in championship mode?
« I'm not saying I don't think about the championship, I think we shouldn't do things that can hurt our chances for the title. In my opinion, we must be clear about our potential, and we have the potential to win the world championship. For the moment, I'm thinking race by race but it's true that in these kinds of conditions, I prefer not to take many risks. And I think it's worth it because in the end we don't need to be at the limit all the time: I know where I need to be at the limit and today it was okay to drive that way . I think today was a really good time for me because it's been difficult since I always want to go fast, I always want to go out first, but today was a day to be calmer. »
Do you see a difference regarding the six Yamaha engineers who are not present at Le Mans?
« No. Honestly, we were already working in these conditions with the Yamaha engineers. We were speaking into microphones and everything is very clear. Sure, it takes a little extra time for the engineers to check the data and everything else, but the only problem is we can't laugh together. That was very good for having a good atmosphere in the team and that's the sad thing: They're not there and can't laugh with us. »
FP3 will be very important and the weather uncertain. How do you see this tomorrow?
« The weather will be good tomorrow, or at least it should be good. I think the most important thing will be to think about our pace is to go straight into Q2, but we have the potential to do that, so we will have to be very fast, even if it's not easy. We'll see what the weather is like tomorrow, but it looks like it's going to be nice and we'll be ready. »
You currently have limited experience of MotoGP in the wet. What will your limit be?
« The limits in the wet that I had today came from the rear grip. It was mainly a settings problem this morning. Like I said, I'm confident and I think it's important for us to be clear where we're losing. »
It is likely that by the end of the championship there will be a Grand Prix in the rain. Could this be negative for you?
« Yes ! Yes, but we must adapt quickly. At the moment I'm fighting with Joan (Mir) and he hasn't had a race in the rain either. Of course, Maverick and Dovizioso have already done a lot of racing in the rain in MotoGP and they have a lot of experience. But if it rains, it's for everyone, so we'll have to be smart and try to improve a lot. It seems that today we found something in the data that can help us improve in the wet. Of course, I prefer dry conditions because ultimately I have more experience there. If it rains, we will adapt and do our best. »
FP2 classification of the French MotoGP Grand Prix:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
