Quartararo: “I preferred not to ride until today”

During the five weeks of summer break, fabio quartararo did not drive on the circuit unlike many of his opponents. The world champion is not in the habit of training on a motorcycle other than his YZR-M1 so as not to lose the sensations. 

But this summer, Quartararo also wanted to preserve himself after his fall in Assen. “In the first laps, I was a little lost with the brakes,” he confides. In turn 8, I braked then released, I no longer remembered the braking capacity of the bike. I couldn't ride after Assen because of my shoulder injury and it was weird. I did a few trials sessions in Andorra, but nothing more. I had a scan last Friday and it was pretty good, so I decided not to ride until today. »

Good first day after holidays 😚
P1 🇬🇧😈 pic.twitter.com/jUnSNwMlDa

- Fabio Quartararo (@ FabioQ20) August 5

Although the Frenchman took a little time to get back into the swing of things, he still managed to end the day with the best time despite a small, inconsequential breakdown in FP1. “It’s always better to be first than second or third,” he said. But above all it was essential to find the rhythm. We know we're going fast on a lap, but the pace was important. »

Prepare the Long Lap 

During the two free practice sessions, the Yamaha rider took the Long Lap several times in preparation for the race. It is mainly a question of estimating the time lost and determining the right time to do it. “I tried it every time there was a yellow flag or I missed my turn, so five or six times,” Quartararo explains. It's long but it's not that bad. I wouldn't say that it isn't very long, because you cover a lot more meters and you lose time. However, you should not be as precise as in Barcelona, ​​for example (…). There we cover more meters and we lose time. We looked and I won't give a figure, but we're losing a lot of time. (…) I still think I don't deserve this penalty, but if it helps the Stewards find the right balance for the future, then I'm happy to do this Long Lap. »

Mark that up as the 5th practice attempt! 🔄

At this rate, @FabioQ20's going to set a lap record on the same lap he takes the long lap penalty 😅#BritishGP 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/5j6C7oE61n

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 5

After being warned of the Long Lap on his dashboard, Quartararo will have three laps to comply. Otherwise, he would be exposed to other, heavier sanctions. Obviously, if the penalty falls at the start of the race, the consequences can be very different than in the last laps. “I hope it won't be too early so there won't be too many people, because it's a pretty dangerous place when it's time to get back on the track. Later would be a small advantage, but it's mostly for safety. So I hope, for that reason, that they won't point it out to me in the first round, but rather in the second or third. I'll take it as late as possible, but I'm not going to do anything crazy either. Whether I do it after one or two laps will not affect the entire race. »