On this Saturday August 7, 2021, Fabio Quartararo answered questions from journalists from the Red Bull Ring circuit, at the end of the second day of the Styrian MotoGP Grand Prix in Austria.
We went to listen (via teleconference software) to the words of the French driver, who is entering the second part of the season as leader of the championship, with no less than 34 points ahead of his compatriot Johann Zarco.
As usual, we report here the words of Fabio Quartararo without the slightest formatting.
You exceeded the track limits on your last lap and it cost you pole position, but it's pretty sure that you and Yamaha are very happy with this result on the front row...
" Yesterday I had great difficulty stopping the bike properly, and it was the same problem this morning. It was particularly difficult in turn 3, but also in turn 2. But in FP4 we took a step forward, and it's not the first time that this has happened. We reached this milestone during our last time attack. I was able to do very good lap times. In terms of tires I tried the hard one at the rear but it wasn't great. Tire degradation is important to everyone here. I'm still happy with the result, and even though my best time was achieved when I crossed the track limits, it was nice to see 1'22 displayed on my dashboard. »
You explained yesterday that things weren't easy for you in the rain. Is the weather a worry for you or not?
" I I have to say that if it's dry it would be much better for me. But if it rains it will be the case for everyone. We are here to work and get the best position possible. We'll just have to get the best possible result. We did the job in the previous races, and we had good feelings when it rained a lot. So I hope that even if it rains, it will be heavy. »
“If it’s dry, it would be much better for me”
Fabio, looking at the forces present this weekend and the weather forecast, what is your plan for the race?
" At Regarding the weather, I think the best plan is to not have any. You can always say “if the weather is nice we'll do that”, or “if it rains we'll try that”, but every time you take the first turn the plan is completely called into question. So you just have to choose the best tires and enjoy the race. No, really, there is no plan. »
It seems that track limits are a recurring topic here in Austria. We really have to be careful about it, but can this be used as a psychological advantage when we know that everyone is vigilant regarding track limits?
" I don't think it's really an advantage: The track is the same for everyone, and normally when you feel at the limit that's when you make the most mistakes. I made one of these mistakes during qualifying, but we will also have to be careful in the race because there will be a lot of laps. I actually think it's a circuit where you can find yourself out of bounds more easily. I think if the track is dry [tomorrow], the pace should be a little slower. And if it rains, no one will really have any reason to cross the limits of the track. So I can't say that I see this as an advantage. »
“It’s a circuit where you can easily find yourself outside the limits of the track”
Dani Pedrosa is doing pretty well so far this weekend. What is your view on its performance, and does this worry you about the performance level of the KTM for next year?
" I have always regretted signing in MotoGP after Dani retired. It was nice to see him on track today. He did a lot of laps here, but it wasn't the same. It's not the same as testing and racing. I was very impressed. He's a MotoGP legend and he always does very well, so I'm very happy for him. »
MotoGP, Styrian Grand Prix: Qualifying results
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
