For the first time since the Portuguese Grand Prix , back in April, Fabio Quartararo did not appear at the official previous press conference on Thursdays in the center of the image, a place of privilege reserved for the World Cup leader. On this occasion, the middle seat was occupied by the Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia, who since the Dutch Grand Prix , until last Sunday in Australia, has added 105 points more than the Frenchman, knocking him off the pedestal.
Quartararo appeared to the right of Pecco, apparently calm and with a very well studied message. “I have nothing to lose, I will go for it all”, was the motto chosen by the Frenchman.
During the press conference, Fabio did not attack Yamaha, which has distinguished itself by an astonishing lack of reaction during all these months in which its franchise rider has bled to death race after race, an inaction that is difficult to understand without being inside that garage.
Yes, the Frenchman was tough, unceremoniously, with his teammate, the Italian Franco Morbidelli, of whom he said: “If I am competitive, Morbidelli should also be able to be,” he reflected.
Once the press conference was over, as usual, the riders admitted a more direct face-to-face, in which the French media took the initiative to try to get more reflections on what is happening at Yamaha from the 2021 world champion. and the reasons for the absolute loss of competitiveness since Assen , at the end of June.
“To be honest, we’ve never really been ‘comfortable’, we’ve always suffered, even when we win races,” el Diablo introduces.
For the first time since Portimao, in April, Fabio Quartararo did not appear in the center of the press conference prior to a grand prix
Photo by: motogp.com
“In Barcelona (where he won 6.5 seconds ahead of the second Jorge MartÃn), I didn’t think I would get away that way. In Germany (where he won 5 seconds over Johann Zarco), my performance was good, but we We took a bit of a risk with the choice of tyre. In Portimao (where he won by 5 seconds over Zarco and took the World Championship lead) we had wet conditions all weekend and we know we finished as we started in terms of set-up. In fact, we started the race and on the fourth lap I set the track record. We managed to get inside and that’s what makes the difference. In the second half of the season, when the others have made great progress, we have been stuck “was the analysis.
Seeing the giant steps that Ducati is taking, the progression of Aprilia and that Honda has recovered Marc Márquez, Yamaha’s situation seems to be getting worse, even more so in 2023, when it will only have two bikes on the grid after losing its partnership. with RNF, you will see an assortment of Aprilia motorcycles.
“I think that will not penalize us [not having a satellite team] compared to what we have at the moment. We are three (drivers) and unfortunately it does not help us at all. Cal Crutchlow is a tester and I have never been able to get a single data from Franco Morbidelli”, he insists on that point.
Yamaha’s inaction and lack of ability to develop the bike are at the heart of Quartararo’s problem.
“Of course I blame Yamaha [for being in this situation]. But I don’t want to complain, neither to them, nor publicly. I don’t want to say ‘the bike is not good’. I know very well that the bike is not fast, but I have to get into my head that this is what I have at this moment”, he controls himself.
The collapse of Yamaha came precisely after having managed to convince Fabio to renew his contract until the end of 2024, when he had important offers from other manufacturers on the tables, something that may lead one to think that, right now, he would rethink it .Â
“No, I don’t regret anything because they knew very well that I was very close to leaving, but I know that by giving them that boost (renovating) they changed their mentality a lot. They took a group of Italian engineers, they developed the engine more, so I feel that have changed. There will be a change next season”, the boy from the Côte d’Azur wants to keep his hopes up.
