This Sunday August 29, 2021, Fabio Quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Silverstone circuit, at the end of the third day of the MotoGP British Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver, who won his fifth victory this season and is moving further ahead in the championship.
As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting.
Fabio, you delivered a top performance this afternoon, can you tell us how your race went?
" I have got off to a good start, although I was a little worried about the holeshot device, which I was using both front and rear. So I got off to a good start but later in a straight line it was more complicated because on one side Aleix [Espargaró] overtook me and on the other Pecco Bagnaia also passed me but without me noticing! »
" The first laps were quite tricky because in turn 8 I went very wide, but at the end I had excellent sensations, because the big improvement on the bike compared to last year concerns the sensations we have on the front. Typically, to make an overtake like the one I was able to do on Pol [Espargaró], you need to have good confidence entering the corner. I'm very happy with my race, even if I expected not to perform as well in some corners, but in the end where I thought it would be difficult it went well, so I'm happy. »
The last time you came to Silverstone you were only able to do one corner. There you have gone to the end of the race and you now have a lead of 65 points over your closest pursuer. Is this something you keep in mind or do you continue to take races one after the other without worrying about it?
" It is funny because when I arrived here I heard a lot of comments about the fact that I was going to make mistakes, that I was going to crack under the pressure of the simple fact that I am the only Yamaha factory rider, the only one who at all fewer fight at the forefront. But in the end it's quite the opposite: I've never felt so good on the bike. »
“Yamaha don't put pressure on me at all, because they trust me. I've never felt so good, and ultimately the fact of having such an advantage in the ranking makes me even more willing not to think about the championship, because until now I haven't had to think about it, except perhaps during the second race in Austria where I had to change my tires. »
If you had to compare this victory with the others you have achieved this season, how important would you consider it?
" I I'm not really focusing on the championship, but it's true that when you arrive in a place with a 47-point lead and you leave with 65, it's clear that we can say that that makes this victory important. But before starting this race, I really told myself not to think about the championship, at least until the round which is to take place in Misano. »
"But I think now that I don't want to think about it at all, because that's how I enjoy it, and I get good feelings on the bike. So I'm going to go to the next round as if it were the first, and I'm having fun, so I'm very happy. »
“I’m going to go to the next round as if it were the first”
The next round will take place in Aragón, a track which has never really been favorable to you. But with such a lead in the championship, we imagine that you will still go there with extra peace of mind...
“The year last time I managed to take pole position there, but it's a track where I don't feel good sensations. I have never been very consistent on this track, and I think that will be my angle of attack on this race: Try to be more consistent. That said, with the increased confidence we have at the front of our machine this year, I think we can take a big step forward. Austria was a track where we suffered last year, and this year we managed to make good progress there, so I think it will be the same in Aragón. »
This is the first time since 1972 that the top 6 is made up of six different manufacturers. What do you think of this statistic?
" I I think it's a good thing, because when I was watching the races a few years ago, I would say six or seven years ago, the only two manufacturers that were really in the lead were Honda and Yamaha, but now it's nice to see several manufacturers neck and neck, and I keep an image in mind which dates from 2019, where we were in Brno during FP3, on a track which is therefore quite long, and where only three tenths separated the top 6. So it's something good, and I think that for the future it's necessarily something interesting. »
You declared at the start of the weekend that you play an individual sport. On the other hand Lin Jarvis has more or less confirmed that Franco Morbidelli will be your new teammate from the round in Misano. What are your feelings about teaming up with him again?
"The Franco joining us in Misano is not something I think about a lot, as I remain focused in my season. He's of course welcome to the team, but I don't really watch what's going on to my left in the garage. »
If we do the calculations, we realize that you can now settle for a third place in each of the future races this season to hope to win the title. Is this likely to change your approach and make you more conservative in the future?
" I I'm not going to change my approach, because I really enjoy fighting for victory. Then of course if I feel like I can't fight for victory, I'm not going to make stupid mistakes. My approach will therefore remain the same, even if I keep in mind that I have a little more room to play. »
“I’m not going to change my approach, because I enjoy fighting for victory”
MotoGP – Silverstone – Race Results
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
