After managing to lock the championship two weeks ago in Misano, Fabio Quartararo could expect two possible versions this weekend at the start of the Algarve Grand Prix: that of a driver already disconnected from the battle or, on the contrary, an ambitious champion hungry to keep winning, as it seems.
Quartararo led the first two free practices of the weekend and in both cases he did so ahead of second place in the general standings, the Italian Pecco Bagnaia, and by very tight margins of half and one tenth, respectively.
Although the title is already decided, the duel between the leaders of Yamaha and Ducati seems to be going on until the end of the season.
“Honestly, this fight is something I expected, but it doesn’t obsess me,” Fabio said at the end of the day.
“I want to have fun. We won the championship this year, but I don’t have to obsess about whether it’s a fight with Pecco or not. If he wins or if I win, it will be fine. I don’t want to fight now, I just want to freely drive the remaining two races. But obviously a good duel with Pecco would be nice.”
In the race held on this same circuit in April , Quartararo clearly prevailed over Bagnaia , who was second by more than 4 seconds. But since then the red bikes have improved a lot.
“The Ducati is very good here and we know that it is quite difficult to overtake, but I think we can do something good and there is not the slightest pressure. We’ll see what we can do. It is very pleasant to drive without any kind of pressure”, he reiterated.
El Diablo took to the track this Friday for the first time without having to worry about the result.
“It was really good, I was very happy to drive and not think about anything, to be able to go to the limit. I think it’s a beautiful moment in my career. It is the first time that I can really enjoy myself, without pressure, so I have a lot of fun.”
“We didn’t try new things, but it can push a bit harder in some corners, so I had a few scares, but I had a lot of fun braking later. That is something that I could not do in the last races and I felt good doing it this Friday”, settled the boy from the Côte d’Azur .
The photos of Fabio Quartararo at the 2021 MotoGP Algarve GP
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
