Jerez.- The Frenchman had not won since the British Grand Prix last year, but in an impeccable race, the 2021 world champion won clearly in Sunday’s race in Portugal, climbing with those 25 points along highest overall in the contest.
A victory that comes just before the Spanish Grand Prix, in Jerez, a track where Fabio Quartararo has always been a thunderbolt, and last year he had the race won until a problem with compartment syndrome in his right arm made it physically impossible to stay ahead.
“Portimao was an important moment, fantastic for us. By not having many dry practices we took advantage of the good base we had from last year and I quickly went fast. Fighting for a victory again was a great feeling”, explained Fabio this Thursday in the run-up to the Spanish Grand Prix.
About last year’s race and the thorn that was stuck in him due to physical problems, the Frenchman doesn’t want to dwell on it too much.
“I don’t know if I have to remove the thorn from last year, it wasn’t because of the bike, it was a problem with my arm, I’m fine with that and we can work like a normal weekend”.
All that forgotten, Quartararo sees himself with the strength to make a double.
“We have the potential to fight for victory, but we have to work step by step throughout the weekend,” he added.
This same Monday, after the race, the first test for the MotoGP riders will arrive: “I hope they bring me power, horses, to be honest I feel very good, but we have to find horsepower, I don’t know if for the test we will have something new, but I do believe that some electronic elements are going to be tested, at the moment I don’t know very well”.
“In the tests things are different, you don’t know what each one has. During the weekend the most important thing is to qualify well, work a lot on your race pace, and that’s what I’m going to focus on now, it’s what marks the difference”.
In addition, the Grand Prix Commission announced changes in the configuration of the tests from now on and the Valencia postseason returns but in a reduced format.
“I think it’s the first time we’ve done two days in Malaysia, and it was enough, what doesn’t seem so good to me is eliminating one day from the last test of the year, but it’s going to be the same for everyone,” he resigned.
MotoGP riders complain that it is very difficult to overtake nowadays, due to aerodynamics and height adjustment devices, but Fabio was reminded that Alex Rins won 20 places in Portimao.
“It’s more difficult to overtake, in my case, with all these new devices. Alex had one of the best, if not the best, start in Portimao, but if we compare with the last three years, before you pressed the start control and that’s it, now you have to touch a lot of things, you gain a little bit of time, but it is much more complicated, it is more difficult to overtake now with so much aerodynamics and devices”.
Despite his status as champion, Fabio is still undecided about his future and his contract with Yamaha runs out at the end of the year.
“I’m not going to talk about my future, but if I have a clear goal this year, which is to win or fight, at least, for the championship, I won’t say anything about my future, I have people around me who take care of it,” he settled. the boy from the Côte d’Azur.
