This Friday April 22, 2022, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão at the end of the first day of the Portuguese Grand Prix.
As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting, even if it is partially translated (vouvoiement in English, tutoiement in French).
Is the Yamaha difficult in the wet?
fabio quartararo : " Oh yes (laughs), yes! »
Why?
« I think the window in which she operates is difficult, but today I found something, because in the end Dovizioso was fast in FP2, like Franco. In FP2. We suffered a bit more and I couldn't do a single good lap, to be honest. I could have improved a lot more. But the window in which it operates is really small. I think I'm a really sensitive rider with the rear: I feel when the rear comes very easily, and my feeling is that if it slips a little bit, I feel it a lot more than it actually is. I need to adapt a little better. To be honest, the position is very bad but my feeling is not that bad. So I think we still have a lot to do, but I would say it's not an easy bike. »
Do you think returning to Europe will make things easier for you?
« To be honest, we didn't have a very good pace in Qatar compared to the others during the weekend. For me, Argentina was the worst because, alone, we had the pace for the podium but as soon as we were overtaken and we were behind, we were lost. To be honest, the capacity it works is good but as soon as we are with the other drivers we are not in good shape.
»
You say you found something, probably by looking at the data. What did you find?*
« Yes. I found that overall I was losing 7/10 in three corners, and these are corners...I wouldn't say they are easy, but where I can push myself more to the limit even though I lost time . By riding more gently and thinking more about the exit to have a little more traction, I can save more time. I think I feel more on the edge of how I'm currently doing than what I should be doing. That's why I think the position is very bad but my feeling is not as bad.
»
Is it in sector 2?
« Yes, in sector 2, and a little here too: sectors 1, 2 and 3. »
Yesterday, Dovizioso said Yamaha needed to make a lot of changes and be a lot more aggressive to provide more grip. Do you agree with him?
« No. I disagree because I think if you ask any driver what they need to be faster, it will be grip (Laughs). Because with more grip, you are sure to go faster. But for me, the way to ride the Yamaha, and I think I have quite a bit of experience with this bike, it doesn't come from the grip but from the power. That's definitely power, and if you ask me 20 times, I'll always say that. In Austin, clearly, we were losing half a second with the two straights, just on the straights. If you take that half a second off our times, we could have fought for the win, and it was the same in Argentina. So for me, I'm OK with being a lot more aggressive and making bigger changes, but it's not about rear grip, it's about power. »
The first comments from a rider who is not used to motorcycling are often close to the truth...
«
Yes, but he also rode the Ducati for a long time. I think I've learned a lot from the bike over the last few years and I think rear grip is not our problem. Of course we lack a lot of rear grip in the wet, that's for sure, but in the dry it's not so bad and I think if you consider our riding style I'm exaggerating but it's It's a lot more like a Moto3 style: it's a lot more rounded. It's true that if you look at the other bikes, it's a lot more V-shaped, and that's the biggest difference between our bike and all the other bikes. »
Do you think this circuit is safe enough in the wet?
« To be honest, when there is little grip we do very poorly. Today my position is bad but my feeling is not as bad. We went to Indonesia where in my opinion the circuit has a lot of grip, while today we were 12 seconds off the best time in the dry. Normally when it's around nine or 10 seconds it's very good, but today it was 12 and I think the grip was very bad. »
What about security?
« At the end of FP2, I stayed in the box and I felt it wasn't very safe. But I can't say anything because I wasn't flying. »
You say you lack power: power or acceleration?
« For me, it's power but it depends: on certain circuits, when we use second or third gear I ask for more power but we don't have any. So it's also a kind of acceleration but it comes from the power. So for me, it's power that we lack. »
Top speed too?
« Top speed too, but let's say more engine power because for certain corners, like in Misano, I ask for more power in second gear but they tell me that we don't have any, while the others do. At a certain point we ask for more but we reach the limit, so we talk about pure engine power, and also top speed. »
Do you think it's a problem if several Yamaha riders ask for different things?
«
To be honest, I don't think it's a problem. From Yamaha, they look at all the riders and they all ask for power. It's true that Dovi requires grip, but for me the main problem is power. If you have less grip but also less power, my main lack in racing is the opportunity to overtake. You are overtaken very easily and as soon as someone overtakes you, it's over! Or you're a second faster, or... even behind someone slower than you, you can't do better.
In the end, in my opinion, we don't have any grip because they do it like this: a V. So they turn, then they open and the bike is straight. But when we're behind, we open the throttle with a lot of lean, and of course, when you're lean a lot, you spin and you don't have grip. So overall, I think that's why we don't have traction. »
So your problem is bigger than Dovizioso's, because maybe they can find some grip this year, but no power...
« Yes ! Of course I think my problem is a problem that has been going on for several years at Yamaha, but they need to fix it. »
Did you give it your all today?
« I wasn't at the limit, limit, limit, but I was almost at the limit (Laughs). A small limit. »
Didn't you tell yourself that with the weather it would be better tomorrow?
« No. Honestly, I would have liked to finish in the top 10 but I didn't succeed. Honestly, it's not that I didn't feel good, but we were missing something. »
How do you explain that you are 20th when in the wet you need less power?
« No, there was no lack of grip there but in the rain we know that. Honestly, today I said it, the position isn't good but for the sensations, it's not that it wasn't great. There were three key places where I was losing a lot of time, but then I think it's important for us to say that we are a second away from third, and honestly half a second on three points where I have to lose a lot of time. 'improve, me. I think we're not that far away. »
What does Yamaha tell you about power to keep you going in 2023?
« Nothing special that motivates me in any case, but I would like to see results from them to see that we need to take a step forward, and clearly we will have many more races in the dry than in the rain. In the rain, it's clear that we lack a lot of grip and that's more important than power, but power in the dry is what we're missing a lot. In the rain you can make a little difference and try to do something good, but in the dry it's impossible. So nothing spectacular. »
Do you think this can improve during the season?
« This year, in any case, I don't see many possibilities. Afterwards, for next year, I don't know. We'll see how it goes but in any case it's difficult and I really hope they are motivated to do some good things. »
How do we manage these very low temperatures?
« Honestly, in the box, I was cold. In addition, I can't put underwear on top because it bothers me a lot, so today I was cold. »
And while driving?
« No ! When you're driving, no! We have other things to think about than the cold. »
FP1/FP2 results of the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix at the Algarve International Autodrome in Portimão:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
