After battling Covid over the winter, Fabio Quartararo made his official debut as a Yamaha MotoGP Factory rider at the team’s 2021 online launch.
The first question for the Frenchman was naturally about his health, the 21-year-old admits he let go of his guard just once the MotoGP season ended in November.
“From Jerez until Portimao was so hard, I was always at home with a very small group. But after Portimao you don’t have the same rebound, we say. You don’t clean your hands as much. and you do through the competition, you remove the mask a little too much and I got the Covid, “Quartararo said.
“I found it really bad and it also took me at least a month to get back to 100%. So I was a little worried, but finally I’m happy because I’ve reached a really good level and feel so good. “
After clearing the Covid block, Quartararo now has just over two weeks to wait before making his debut for the Yamaha Factory team in the Qatar opening test.
Quartararo earned his promotion to the official team behind two separate years with Petronas Yamaha, seven podiums in his rookie season followed by the first winning MotoGP race and a global competition led by a satellite M1 rider.
But as the competition drew to a close, Quartararo emerged from first to eighth place in the world championship, the vague nature of the Factory-Spec machine compared to the consistency of teammate Franco Morbidelli, who rose in second place behind Joan Mir on the oldest A. -Spec bike.
“Last year was a difficult time because some of us were [valve] things with the bike as everyone knows, but also for me, because in 2019 everything was going perfect and 2020 also started perfectly but then a big issue, up and down , “Quartararo said.
Certainly the # 20 was not alone in beating the Factory-Spec in the closing rounds, Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi failed to podium in the last five races, but by watching back Quartararo thinks it could have been treated differently.
“At the end of the year we never had one Factory-Spec bike up in P1 or P2 and the others down in P10 or P11. We were all down, or all up,” he said. “But when you fight for podiums and win and then you’re in P10 you want more, you’re angry with yourself and then you do worse.”
Attempting to replicate his previous successes and the introduction of the Mir, Quartararo’s natural response to pushing even harder against the grip issues was ruining the Factory- Spec M1s.
“I didn’t feel so much pressure but the bike had been going well. I had two weird races in Misano then I came back to Barcelona, winning the race. then we had trails where we struggled, the ability of the bike was getting lower and I saw that I was losing the competition, “he explained.
“I wanted to push even more, but in a few minutes you push more and you go much lower. Then in Valencia the same thing, I fell twice. I think in times like these it’s better to make a P7 than an accident. “
Adding to Quartararo’s over-acclaim was less MotoGP experience, but no experience in fighting for global competition.
“I’ve never fought for a competition other than CEV, but the difference is so huge!” He said.
“Of course last year I was angry with myself, because I missed a big chance to win the competition, but now I say, ‘okay, I missed an opportunity, but it’s something that will give me a lot of experience for the future ‘.
“Now I’m not even bothered, because I think I learned a lot.
“Not assuming I was going to fight for P6-P7-P8 and instead crash, this is something I struggled to accept last year. But for competition that’s what you need, if you can’t do better – points, points, points.
“In the end it was this that made me lose a lot of jobs in the competition.”
To avoid last year’s repetition, Quartararo not only relies on Yamaha to solve the factory’s bike’s technical weaknesses, it has also worked with a psychologist to improve his mindset.
“I saw a psychologist through the winter, it’s going well and I’ll see you again before the start of the season,” he said.
“First, I have to stay calm,” he explained. “I heard a lot of things last year …‘ Fabio doesn’t have a riding coach ’,‘ Fabio isn’t the right people around ’. To focus, I have to forget everything people say. Because I know I have the right people around me.
“The psychologist helped me to just focus on myself and not waste time hearing everything that people say is not true for me, and I don’t have to worry. for that.
“Also for example last year when the bike wasn’t working so well, I wanted to cycle [and also] help the team fix the situation, help find ideas to see if we can improve the bike.
“But my job is to analyze with the data guy and my crew leader, giving my opinion on riding, without thinking for hours and hours what situation I want to be in. to do.
“I need to disconnect, just focus on my work as a cyclist and not get into it [different] ways. That’s what helped me with the psychologist. “
Quartararo hopes the difficult lessons learned will help him in his new role at Factory.
“Maybe you have more weight in the Factory team, but also a lot more support. I’ve learned a lot last year about weight management and in the end, I think it’s a good weight is a Factory cyclist. “
Quartararo also expects a replica of the fun, family feel he enjoyed at Petronas.
“I think we can put the sport into the real work,” he said. “I think we can do our job easily and have fun because in the end it’s important to be happy. .
“Of course it’s a very important time in my career, but just because I’m going from satellite to official doesn’t mean that everyone has to be so hard. There will definitely be a family feeling. We also have a Factory team. “
That involves building a real connection with his team, beyond just politics.
“I don’t want to be an arriving rider,” hello said, and just concentrate on the bike. If I can have fun with the team and help, even a few details, I clean the fairs and No, because I am a factory cyclist, I have to forget that.
“I’ve moved from satellite to factory, which is more important, bigger, but it’s the same for me. I’m on the bike, having fun and with the people I love … So I can confirm that I will start my own bike when I can before every practice! “he said, referring to the ritual he has performed with his mechanics since joining MotoGP at the end of 2018.
Quartararo joined the Yamaha Factory team at the expense of the most famous cyclist in MotoGP history, Valentino Rossi, but he wants to distance himself from any talk of replacing the Italian.
“I didn’t replace Valentino because Valentino’s place is unique,” he said.
“Vale was the king of MotoGP I think, who gave [Yamaha] a lot. We’re just swapping rounds and it’s a dream, a big moment for me to change with your idol. But Vale will certainly do very well with the Petronas team. “
The seat change means Quartararo joins Vinales, Yamaha ‘s most successful rider in terms of winning a race (seven) since Jorge Lorenzo’ s departure at the end of 2016.
After putting two young, ambitious, fairly matched riders in the same garage, Yamaha admits there will be a ‘healthy rivalry’ between the Quartararo-Vinales.
Would there even be a repetition of tensions in the past between Lorenzo and Rossi?
“I hope it will be like Valentino and Lorenzo as they fought one-two in the tournament until the final race of the year!” Jokes Quartararo. “I hope to be in Lorenzo’s place to win the competition!
“But yes, I have a good relationship with Maverick. I think we can work really well together and bring Yamaha to the top. That is my goal. My personal goal is to be fighting for the tree.
“Of course Maverick is my main rival but if we can fight for one and two and not eighth and ninth it is much better to work together.
“So I think he will be a great competitor but also a great team player to improve the bike… and then of course in the race and the war is a testament! “