Éric Mahé: “It’s the progression of a gifted and motivated guy”

Éric Mahé was the one who allowed fabio quartararo to make his entrance onto the stage of MotoGP in 2019 by joining the new Petronas Yamaha SRT team. During his rookie year, the Frenchman, who was riding a bike from the previous year, regularly stood up to Marc Marquez. In 2020, the season didn't end as he had hoped, but this year Quartararo was able to rediscover the potential of his rookie year to notch five wins and 10 podiums. A few days before the Emilia-Romagna GP, Éric Mahé, his manager, agreed to answer some of our questions.

Did you expect such a season from Fabio?

“Yes, and in my opinion, the reference season is 2019. He was a rookie, he fought against Marc Marquez on a spec-B bike. To understand Fabio's potential, you have to look at 2019 and not 2020. I know the reasons why it ended badly last year and for me there was no problem about the future. »

The most important podium of my career… second place that tastes like gold. Thanks to my team for the incredible job 💙 pic.twitter.com/68gOhQazlc

- Fabio Quartararo (@ FabioQ20) October 4, 2021

Exactly, what happened in 2020?

“Due to Covid-19, there were no tests and we had problems with the valves. We were the ones who asked for this bike, but it was a mistake, because there was the pandemic. But by trading in November, it was then impossible to envisage Covid-19 a few months later. We asked for this machine and even though it didn't work out, we couldn't complain. The 1 M2019 was much better at the end of 2020. We won two races at Jerez and then there was the valve problem. On certain circuits, the reduction in electronic assistance cost us and on others, it was the lack of tuning. Fabio therefore had to deal with things that were technically impossible to manage and the season ended as we know. »

We talked a lot about the mental aspect, was the use of psychological help fundamental?

“For me honestly, I would say no. »

So what brought this serenity this season?

“It was written… he got annoyed last year because it was far from what he hoped for. This year he is close to what he was aiming for. There is therefore less irritation and he has learned the lessons of last year. It is the combination of these two aspects. He is less in difficulty with his package, therefore less angry, quite naturally. And, given that he has learned the lessons of 2020, he has made progress in managing difficulties. He is no longer the 21-year-old Fabio, but the one who is now 22 years old. It's the natural evolution of a rider who struggled against Marquez with a B bike in 2019... He is the benchmark there. There was no new Fabio, there was nothing magical. It’s the logical progression of a talented and motivated guy. »

Among the opponents, did you expect Fabio to compete against Francesco Bagnaia at the end of the season?

“Yes, completely. We talked about it during the winter. When it comes to pure talent, Bagnaia is a client. Last year, he showed that he had the talent, but also had a little trouble putting everything together. When I talk about talent, I mean natural gift, I'm not talking about aggression or psychology, but just the ability to ride a motorcycle as fast as possible. Bagnaia, for me, it was clear and clear that he had this talent. As for whether he was going to succeed in putting everything together, we didn't know. In my 2021 talent list, I put Bagnaia, Marquez and Fabio. »

And for 2022, who do you see among the main rivals?

“I see Fabio, Marquez, Bagnaia and I would add Martin. The Fernandez/Gardner duo who will arrive next year is also very interesting: natural gift for Raul and aggressiveness for Remy. »

What do you think of Marquez's season since his return?

“For me, Marquez was perfect. He won two races. We know that he is still weakened and we don't know if he will stay that way or not. The psychological consequences of this period are very difficult to assess. Some, like Kevin Schwantz, believe he will be forever scarred. Yes, he will be in his flesh, but not in his head. He fell 20 times this year and each time he got back on his bike. If we consider his heavy fall in Assen, if he had been psychologically scarred, he would have told the Japanese “I'm going home”. He does not have the attitude of a psychologically affected pilot, but rather that of a pilot who is not completely healed. At the same time, the others have progressed in his absence. Coming back as dominant as he was, personally, I don't believe in it. However, I think that he can return to the level that will allow him to play for the title next year depending, of course, on the package he has. »

How is the development of the 1 YZR-M2022 going? With the various transfers/replacements at Yamaha, was Fabio the only one to make the choices?

“Sportingly, there is actually no one to take part in each race. But at a manufacturer as professional as Yamaha, the engineers take all opinions into account. Fabio gives his opinion, but others can also give it. There is also Cal Crutchlow (test rider for Yamaha, editor's note) behind who follows what is happening. Indeed, among the regular drivers, there are few who can give their opinion at the moment. But it’s not just about listening to whoever wins. The engineers are not crazy, they seek above all the homogeneity of the material and to improve overall on the feeling of all the drivers. The Japanese then sort out the comments that are relevant and those that are not. »

We can imagine that you start to think about 2023, will Fabio continue with Yamaha?

“Fabio will go where it is best for him and today everything is open. For the moment, nothing is clear about 2023. Obviously, Fabio is happy with his performances, but we have to dissect it, because these performances are more on Fabio's side than that of his package. The trend is to sign a year or even a year and a half in advance. If there are clear prospects, then you have to go for it. But the main strategy is to never rush, so we'll see what happens. We have been contacted by 2.5 teams: two real approaches and another seemingly nothing… We will evaluate this in due time with confidence. Fabio is young, he has a future ahead of him. »

Cover photo credit: Christian Bourget (Sports Images)