The leader of the MotoGP world championship began the run-up to the Thai Grand Prix in the same way that it ended last Sunday afternoon in Motegi, complaining about the difficulties that it entails for him to be able to overtake other riders on the track.
In the Japanese Grand Prix, Fabio Quartararo was behind Maverick Viñales the entire race, whom he was unable to attack even once, crossing the finish line eighth and absolutely upset.
“It was a frustrating race in Japan, I couldn’t overtake, we had a very good pace but we were stuck,” Quartararo lamented.
“Here in Thailand I think we will be able to manage the situation better to have a great result. The first and second sectors will be tough for us but we are prepared,” he said regarding the long straights that the first half of the Buriram track offers.
With this perspective, the Yamaha rider must find the area of the circuit in which to attack overtaking.
“I can do the time at any point, I have to do it in the braking zone, there we are quite strong with the new chassis, if it is in the dry. In the wet I think that in Motegi I rode too aggressively and it did not work, we have to be finer in water, softer”, corrected the Yamaha.
Fabio was reminded that in the last race held here, in 2019, there was already a session in the rain.
“I don’t even remember that we had a wet session here two years ago, it wasn’t too wet either I think. We have to give our all and find our rhythm, like we did in Motegi. The first laps were good there, but we didn’t have a good qualifying and That needs to be improved,” he said.
Having the problem of the leader of the World Cup so clear and localized in overtaking, they asked him what can be done to solve it.
“There is nothing we can do, we have the same bike as at the beginning of the year, we have been able to get a new chassis, but it is not a big change. Next year it will be more fun with the new engine, we will have more facilities”, he said hopefully.
In Buriram rain is expected every day of the weekend, a situation that complicates things again for the drivers to prepare for Sunday’s race.
“I think that the last race in Motegi was difficult because of the red flag after Pol Espargaró fell, some came out with rain rubber and others with dry rubber, there we found that the bike skidded a lot on the straight. Today here in Thailand It was raining a lot and I saw that the track drained well, I hope it won’t be so problematic”, settled the Frenchman.