GP Indonesia, Quartararo: “The real Yamaha is what you saw in Qatar”

Fabio Quartararo starts over from the Indonesian GP. With the first race in Qatar behind him, one in which he failed to meet with expectation and felt frustrated with his ninth-place finish, it’s now time to turn the page and the Mandalika circuit seems like the ideal place to do just that. The Yamaha rider appeared in great shape during pre-season testing at this track, setting the second fastest time overall. But will he be as productive this weekend?

Quartararo: “I’m keen to make a fresh start here”

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“It was really hard in Qatar – begins the Frenchman during the press conference – I expected a lot more, but it’s true that we hadn’t had the three test days, and we were lacking grip too. I gave it my all in the race, but the front pressure wasn’t right. So I’m keen to start over here. We were quick in testing at Mandalika and so we’ll see what we can do”. And Quartararo is quick to respond to those asking when they’ll see the real Yamaha on track: “The real Yamaha is the one you saw in Qatar! I wasn’t feeling anything totally new on the bike, we’ll see how this race goes. It will be important to keep an eye on the aerodynamics too.”

Seeking redemption at Mandalika

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The current world champion looks to be one of the favourites at this track, considering the February tests that saw him place second behind Pol Espargaró: “Many things have changed compared to the tests, the tyres for example. But I felt good here and also had good pace. We already know the ratios and the track, but we don’t know what to expect for the race. I think it will be important to make the right tyre choice already tomorrow, so that we can work with those we’ll use in the race”.

Quartararo: “It was hard to accept a race like that of Qatar”

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Lastly, Quartararo is asked about his pre-race rituals: “I like to listen to music – he explains – and then, when I go out on the track, I like to speak with the team and make jokes because if I focus only on the race I get anxious”. And, in effect, Fabio has had a lot of stress to deal with after the first race of 2022: “When I said I wanted to smash everything it was a joke of course, but I was frustrated. The pace hadn’t been bad during practice but we were unable to take steps forward in the race. It was a tough weekend, it’s not easy to accept, but now I feel ready, I know we need to come back strong and demonstrate our potential at this track”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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