Australian MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo: ‘Frustrated but fast’, expects ‘strange, interesting race’
The reigning champion, who holds a slender two-p🍰oint advantage over Bagnaia and 20-point lead over Espargaro, lapped just 0.206s from Jorge Martin’s record pole time.
But the ultra-close lap times 😼meant it was only enough to put Qua𓄧rtararo’s Monster Yamaha fifth on the grid.
“I’m🌳 satisfied about my qualifying, but frustrated about the position,” Quartararo said. “I felt I made a really great lap, but it is never enough. I feel like for the pace, we are not too bad, so just frustrated a little bit about qualifying.”
♍Asked why he doesn’t adopt Marc Marquez-style towing tactics to help overcome the M1’s lack of speed, Quartararo ex𝐆plained:
“If you go slow waiting൩ for someone then the front tyre is never ready, especially for us, we are struggling to warm it up in one lap. So that that's why I didn't do it.”
‘Strange, interesting race - a great challenge’
Quartararo may be starting behind his title rivals, but Phillip I🥂sland looks like being one of his best chances to rebuild points over them compared to the following events at Sepang🧸 and Valencia.
“It’s not a disaster because I feel quite okay and for me the front two rows is t💯he main thing,” he said. “Here will be a stran🌼ge race because I think everyone has a lot of tyre consumption.
“I think it's one of the worst tracks for it during all the year. With the soft you can go much faster. But after a few laps you drop so much 💧an❀d are much slower. So at the end I think it doesn't matter really which tyre to use for the race, but just take care a lot about the tyres.
“🦂So it's going to be interesting. Not the best for us, because we need to make corner speed on the exit. But it's going to be a great challenge.”
Quartararo added: ﷺ“I think there are a lot of riders that can go really fast because at the end it’s a lot about, like I said, the tyre consumption.
“Pecco is really fast. But I think we are fast. Many riders have a good pace. So I think it can be a usual Phillip Island race - apart from last time [2019] where really Marc and Maverick went away - so I think 🐓it will be a quite interesting race.
“🐬We're going to enjoy it. Hopefully we can really be on the top. But I'm feeling confident. I made my lap alone. The pace was prett🅘y good. I was pretty conservative with the tyres [in FP4]. So I'm feeling good in this track.”
‘More to gain, more to lose’
With just two points between Quartararo and Bagnaia, and just three 💖rounds remaining, the stakes are obviously high.
“Of course there is more to gain and more to lose [now]. But what should you do if you have only two points?” Qu♈artararo said. “You have to go and give your best. At the end, you have more to lose, but a lot to gain so you need to push yourself to the maximum.”
Bagnaia will ✱be one of six Ducati riders start🐭ing in the top nine. The next best Yamaha after Quartararo was Cal Crutchlow in 17th.
Pe♒ter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the♔ Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
