In less than six months, Fabio Quartararo (Nice, 23 years old) has gone through three different moods. From the outburst of emotion and joy that resulted from winning his first MotoGP title, to the anger after verifying that Yamaha was not able to muscle the engine of the M1, to end in a phase of acceptance of the situation, which coincidentally coincided with the reappearance of its best version. In this dynamic that has taken him directly to the leadership of the points table, the Devil attended Motorsport.com a few days ago.
Question: What effect will the renewal with Yamaha have on you?
Answer: Well, I would say none. I never thought about it going into the circuits, and that’s why I didn’t want to talk about it. I never had it in my head. I am very happy to be able to continue another two years at Yamaha, where the project is going well and I think we can do great things together.
Q: Your renewal had been taken for granted for some time, but you denied it. To what extent did its continuity endanger?
A: I made the decision recently. Until the last moment I contemplated all the options. When someone invented that he had signed, we were in talks with various teams. A lot of people talked ahead of time because I was getting good results with Yamaha , but that wasn’t the most important thing. I wanted the best project, and when I noticed the delivery of the brand, the real interest, then I signed.
Q: How do you deal with having a whole brand in your hand?
A: It is spectacular. Seeing all the efforts for me to stay confirms to me that I am doing a good job. We know that the bike is not at its best level, but to see a manufacturer that motivated to retain me is a great feeling.
Q: All you ask of Yamaha is more engine?
A: Yamaha felt the risk of losing me, and the only thing I ask for is more power. They are focused on it. All the riders ask for many things, but what I want is more power.
Q: How do you deal with being such an obvious reference for the brand and the championship?
A: It’s just that I like it, I don’t see it as negative pressure at all. It charges me with energy and takes pressure off me. That shows me that I’m doing a good job, and at the same time it prevents me from relaxing because I don’t want that to change. I’m not saying this because you ask me, but because I feel like I have a lot less pressure than last year. And it’s not that he had much then, because he did what he could. I don’t see myself with the obligation to defend a title, but with the will to win it.
Q: How worrying is it that you’re the only one going fast on this bike?
A: I don’t see it as something worrying, because this year I can’t compare too much data with the other Yamahas. I already know where my limits and those of the bike are.
Q: You go through life as a happy guy. What do those elite athletes who also make a very good living, but who nevertheless seem permanently pissed off, suggest to you?
A: I do my dream job, I don’t even consider it a job. My family is healthy and I make a good living, so I have no reason to be angry. I don’t judge anyone, but there are riders who complain and don’t know how lucky they are. And I’m not just saying this for those in MotoGP , but also for those in Moto2 and Moto3. Even when I went through difficult times, which obviously affected me, I was always happy. In the end, I am lucky to be able to do what I like the most. There are many people who work in things they don’t like, also earning very little money. And most of them don’t complain.
Q: Have you spoken with Marc Marquez?
A: A little. Marc is one of the riders in the paddock with whom I get along best. He’s going through a difficult time, but let’s hope he comes back like before. I have learned a lot from him and want to continue learning.
Q: Do you want to see what the world champion Quartararo can do against the best version of Márquez?
A: Of course. 2019 was the year I enjoyed the most. Those two races that I did with Marc, in Misano and in Thailand, in which I played for victory with him despite being a rookie in MotoGP, were something very brutal. I had just arrived in the category and was competing in the race with an eight-time world champion. That almost means more than the title. That year, most people thought that the presence of Fabio Quartararo in MotoGP did not make any sense. That’s why it was so important.
Q: What has caught you more by surprise: the difficulties of Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati, or the inertia of Aleix Espargaró and the Aprilia?
A: Aleix’s inertia. Already, in Qatar, where he finished fourth, I saw that he drove differently, because of how he overtook. There I thought: What happened here? In Argentina, his bike had a grip that I hadn’t seen in my life, but he knew how to take advantage of the opportunity. You have to do what he did there: fastest lap, pole position and victory. He has five podiums in six races.
Q: Do you like to ride a motorcycle outside the circuits?
A: No, I don’t like it, I see it as very dangerous. I have no license and no intention of taking it out at the moment.
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Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
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Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Photo by: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Marc Fleury
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Foto de: Marc Fleury
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Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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