Sepang.- The Yamaha rider had just had a real ordeal in the last races, he did not finish on the podium, second behind Pecco Bagnaia, since the Austrian race on August 21, and he returned to the box six races later, after a another victory for the Italian, but just in time to prevent the Ducati rider from clinching the title in Malaysia.
“It was difficult. In the first corner I saw that Pecco made a very good start, a very good braking, so I told myself it was all or nothing. It went well, I made more than a good start, a good first lap.” explained Fabio Quartararo.
“Then I got a good pace, I tried to give my best. That’s what I’ve done. I’m very satisfied with my race. I know very well where I was losing those tenths in each race. I think this is one of the races in the ones I’ve driven the best,” he added
In the second part of the race, the Frenchman approached the first two, but could not complete the comeback.
“That’s what I did. Unfortunately, I tried everything and on the two straights I lost too much. In sector 2 I was good, but we lacked speed. But honestly, I’m happy, I gave everything. The goal was to try to keep Pecco from winning the title. That’s what we’ve done. It’s almost impossible to do it, but nothing is impossible. We believe in it until the end.”
A very complicated situation, but anything can happen.
“Exactly. 25 points or nothing. After such difficult moments, I am very happy to have had a race as good as this one.”
Quartararo broke the middle finger of his left hand on Saturday.
“The finger doesn’t look too good. We’ll see. When I get back home they’ll do more checks and we’ll see what needs to be done, but they took good care of me, they gave me a painkiller and it didn’t bother me excessively during the race.”
Despite being on the verge of losing the title he won last year, Fabio was happy.
“At least we took the mystery to Valencia,” he said with a big smile.
“Anything can happen there, the first thing we have to do is win the race on a very complicated circuit for us, but I’m very motivated, I haven’t really enjoyed riding the bike in the last few races, but today I enjoyed it as if I had won “, settled the Frenchman.
