Starting from the front row on the grid, Fabio Quartararo will use his second place to get those necessary points that will consolidate him as world leader. Before that, a 30-lap race awaits the French driver, in which staying focused will be crucial.
“I’m very happy, because both on Friday and Saturday we weren’t able to be in the top five with the soft [tyre]. But when qualifying came around, I made a mental change and tried to get the best lap out and square it” .
“This second place is fantastic, as is the pace we set in FP4 on both tyres. I was in ‘qualifying mode’ from the first lap. I think regardless of the tyres, we have high potential for the race.”
Factors such as tire wear, heat and the distance of the track mean that this circuit is not the easiest on the MotoGP calendar. In an attempt to resolve the first question, the Frenchman assured that the choice of tires is not so clear.
“Right now I don’t opt for it, it’s a 50-50. They are two tires that make you have to compete in two very different ways, but both have high performance potential to fight for the top positions.”
In addition to having Pecco Bagnaia as the top reference and six strong Ducati on the qualifying sheet, riders like Aleix Espargaró did not go unnoticed during this qualifying Saturday.
“We are used to seeing Italian bikes at the top,” said Fabio Quartararo during the official press conference. “Aleix is very strong in the first few laps. Johann [Zarco] is also strong, and I think there will be three or four drivers who will be strong at the start.”
“There will be a bigger group at the beginning, and then it will go down. It’s a very long race, but today I didn’t feel the heat when I was driving. When you stopped yes, it was scorching, but driving it’s not so bad. I think the hardest part It will be to keep the concentration during the 30 laps”.
Finally, Fabio Quartararo experienced a problem with his visor while playing on Saturday. On this matter, the Frenchman spoke, assuring, between laughs, that he is a “pilot who likes to do strange things”.
“The truth is that I didn’t fit the visor well, I had some riders ahead of me, I knew that Aleix [Espargaró] was going fast and, when I turned, the visor went up. I think it was my mistake and that’s why I didn’t get mad It’s better that it happened today than tomorrow.”
