This Thursday August 4, 2022, fabio quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Silverstone circuit ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Reigning MotoGP champion, leader of the current classification and last winner at Silverstone, all the lights could be green for The Devil, but the latter will have to paya Long Lap penalty at the start of the race before defending his chances on British soil…
As usual, we report here the words of fabio quartararo without any formatting, even if it is translated from English.
The five week break is over and MotoGP is back for the 12th round which is the British Grand Prix. Fabio, this is going to be a complicated weekend for you, because of the penalty you will have to take...
fabio quartararo : " Yes, five weeks has been a very long time and I'm happy to be back. I'll approach this weekend like a normal weekend: I think that's what we need to do. Then, of course, there is this penalty, but we will see how this weekend goes and obviously how we approach the race. But I think it's going to be a very good challenge for us, and I feel ready to race. »
Last year you showed that you liked this circuit and that it suited the Yamaha. For what ?
« You know, in the previous categories, Moto3 and Moto2, I was never fast on this circuit, but in my rookie year in MotoGP it was the first time where I really felt that I could fight for a victory. At least before starting the race, because I started and crashed in the first corner (smiles). But last year I was able to fight for victory and it's a particularly technical circuit, especially in the first sector, and I have always been very fast there with a MotoGP. So we'll see how it goes this year but I think there's no reason to be slow (laughs). »
The 2023 season will begin with the Portuguese Grand Prix. Since 2006, it has always been in Qatar (false statistic). What do you think ?
« I haven't been in the league since 2006, so it's not a problem. I have been here since 2015 and for me it will be the same: A different circuit and a day race but it will be the same for me. It's a track that I love, so that's good. »
Have you changed your mind about your penalty?
" No not at all ! I don't want to speak up and say something about the previous fall that didn't result in a penalty. Of course, after the Barcelona crash which was important, I understand that they wanted to change the rules a little so that we could be less aggressive, but I think we have to find the balance between irresponsible driving and a serious incident. race. Of course, I know that I crashed and that Aleix Espargaró could have had a better result, but I don't see that as a penalty. They simply have to find a balance between a penalty and no penalty: this is in my opinion the main thing to not make our sport boring! »
Many Greek fans saw you in Mykonos this summer: Did you have time to train a little or did you do all your training dancing in the clubs?
« (Laughs) for sure, they saw me more in the clubs than outside (Laughs). No, but if I had wanted to windsurf, it was windy all week. But I had time to go to the gym and train, but it was also good to have a week off, with friends and family, and I was able to have a good time Greece. »
Is there a Formula 1 test scheduled with Mercedes? You spent some time with Lewis Hamilton: was he able to learn anything from you?
« Regarding Mercedes, it's something I'm working on, it's not something already planned, but of course it would be something I would love to try: I went into the simulator, I got in the car, but I haven't had the chance to try it. I was able to have a really good day with Lewis but we didn't talk about competition, just had fun surfing and jet skiing, and it was a good day. »
Today, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will retire after the Grand Prix in Misano. What do you think of his decision?
« I haven't had the chance to speak in depth with Andrea but he certainly has had a difficult year. He had a gap year, so we get how difficult it is to come back after almost a year off. I think he made his decision because he no longer enjoys the bike but of course he had a wonderful career. I think he has 14 or 15 wins in MotoGP, so he has a great record here, so I wish him the best for the rest of his career and I'm sure he will ride a motocross every day (laughs) . »
You will have to do your penalty in the first three laps: are you worried about that, or excited about making a good comeback?
« We haven't even started FP1, so I don't know what to expect. But of course it's going to be a different kind of race and a different challenge, but like I said, I feel ready and I feel motivated. I have this amount of laps to do the Long Lap, but like I said, until the race, I will do Friday and Saturday as a normal weekend, just like Sunday a normal race with just a different strategy to due to the Long Tour penalty. »
How serious will this penalty be during the race?
« Bien sûr, c’est important, mais ce n’est pas la dernière
course de la saison. Ce n’est pas la dernière bagarre que nous
aurons cette année. Bien sûr, ce sera une course importante pour
moi mais je ne veux pas devenir fou en me disant “je dois faire le
Long Lap aussi vite que possible, je dois à 100 % gagner cette
course”. Je travaillerai de mon mieux vendredi et samedi pour avoir
le meilleur rythme possible et la meilleure qualification, puis
nous verrons quelle sera notre position en course. Pendant la
première partie des vacances, j’étais un peu obsédé pour faire ce
Long Lap rapidement, mais en faisant du mieux possible vous pouvez
chuter ou perdre un ou deux dixièmes, donc je préfère perdre un ou
2/10 durant cette pénalité de Long Lap et ne pas mettre la moto au
sol. »
