Fabio Quartararo fails to convert pole position into victory and is instead forced to retire: “It’s tough in the race”
Disappointed and clearly down: it’s another pole position for Fabio Quartararo, but also another DNF for the French rider. A rider of immense talent, unfortunately not backed by his bike: in recent days, El Diablo has already criticized his situation, and today his struggles are even more evident.
Fabio Quartararo’s words
This is what El Diablo told Sky Sport: “Yes, today was really tough. I felt completely on the limit, pushed for the whole race. Unfortunately, we made a mistake on Friday: we used one more front tire than we should have, and didn’t have a fresh one for today. It had an impact, but it didn’t change everything. In the end, every lap for us is a fight: we lose a lot on the straights and in acceleration, so I’m forced to push to the maximum every time.
When you’re alone on track it’s already difficult, but when you have someone in front and bikes with more power behind, it gets even tougher. I constantly have to think about not getting overtaken, defending my position, and that obviously affects the pace.
In qualifying we manage to pull something out – the flying lap has always been one of our strengths. But in the race, when you’re in the mix, it’s hard – especially because we lose a lot coming out of Turn 5 and also on the straight. That hurts us a lot. We’re working on it, but it takes time.
Tomorrow, in the long race, tire management will be crucial. The problem is, compared to the others, we don’t just need to manage – we need to manage even more just to stay with them. Our tire heats up too quickly, and that’s a weakness over race distance.
Then yes, there are sectors where I can make the difference: today in the third sector, for example, I pulled off something special and gained a lot, while I lost quite a bit to Pecco in the first two. But it’s clear that one good lap isn’t enough – race pace is what matters, and that’s where we still need to improve.
I’m motivated, I’m not giving up – and I know that as soon as the right opportunity comes, we’ll be ready to show our true potential.”
Photo: MotoGP