This Thursday August 26, 2021, Fabio Quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Silverstone circuit, ahead of the British Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver, who further increased his lead in the championship after the last two rounds contested in Austria. A good omen for this weekend, on a circuit much more favorable to Yamaha than the Red Bull Ring.
As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting.
Fabio, can you come back to the last race which took place in Austria? You didn't get the expected result after some fantastic driving, but you still increased your lead in the championship again...
« I was quite happy with the second race, because in the first I finished quite far from Jorge [Martín, the winner of the Styrian Grand Prix], and I must have finished about ten seconds from victory . But in the second race I improved my pace a lot, and I really felt like I could fight for the win, and I think it was one of the most fun races in years. »
« I had a lot of fun, and I had good feelings. It's all the more positive as Austria has always been a difficult race for us, and yet there we were able to fight for victory as well as the podium. It's of course not exactly the result I wanted, but I'm still happy with my result in the second race. »
When you only came here in the premier category, two years ago during your first season in MotoGP, the race ended short for you. So what are your expectations for this weekend?
« Two years ago it only lasted one corner for me, but despite that I must say that Silverstone remains one of my favorite tracks in MotoGP. The Yamaha works really well here, so I'm just looking forward to having some fun starting tomorrow morning. I hope we have a good time, and that we have good weather! »
“I hope we have good weather!” »
You're friends with Jake Dixon [who replaces Franco Morbidelli this weekend at the Petronas Yamaha SRT team]. What advice would you like to give him as he approaches his first Grand Prix in the premier category?
« It has to be calm, because personally when I started in Valencia on the first day I was completely lost even though it was only a day of tests! Everything is different: He will feel the power, the brakes more… He shouldn't pay too much attention to the times because the guys in front will of course be very fast. »
In recent years, we have seen different winners succeed one another at Silverstone: Suzuki, Yamaha… It is a fast circuit but still suitable for a wide variety of bikes. What is your opinion on the subject?
« It's a track that has a bit of everything: Fast turns, acceleration phases, and so I think it's a track that can suit all types of bikes. It's true that we've had six different winners over the last six years, and we'll see what happens this season. »
Do you regret that Maverick Viñales will not stay at Yamaha until the end of the season?
« It's something I don't worry about much. I'm focused on my work, and therefore it's something that doesn't really affect me. I'm not sad, and I'm just having fun. It's an individual sport, and I have a new teammate this weekend. No, I can't say I'm sad about it. »
