Quartararo loses big in Australia: “We have to turn the page”

fabio quartararo wasn't expecting a fun time this Sunday at the Australian GP, ​​but he probably hadn't envisaged such a scenario. 

Starting fifth, the world champion first had to elbow his way in the first laps before making a mistake when braking for the fourth corner and shooting straight ahead. “I braked, the bike became unbalanced and I had to pull straight,” he said. It's my fault. It wasn't easy to come back, but now we have to turn the page. »

Worst case scenario... It's over for Fabio Quartararo in Australia 😳#AustralianGP | #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/BAmTmFJuO7

— CANAL+ MotoGP™ (@CanalplusMotoGP) October 16, 2022

Relegated to 22^e position, he then embarked on a comeback, taking advantage of the errors of his opponents such as the collision between Jack Miller and Alex Marquez. After he climbed 15^e, he finally went to the mat in the second turn. “It was difficult because I was behind trying to overtake the others,” Quartararo explains. I think I passed three or four pilots. I also tried to preserve the tires. I forced too much at the entrance. There wasn't much difference in passing speed, but I was faster than usual. » 

If this fall is not usual for the Yamaha rider, he is convinced that it has nothing to do with the pressure of his front tire. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so,” he said. I was practically riding alone, it was quite cold, so I don't think I overheated the front tire. »

First match point for Bagnaia in Sepang

Quartararo is now 14 points behind Francesco Bagnaia and he must finish on the podium if his rival wins to push back the deadline in Valencia. “It’s not over,” he blurted. It's annoying to make a mistake at this time. There are two races left. It will be complicated in Malaysia because of the two straights, but as I said, circuits with long straights are working for us this year, in Barcelona or Mugello. So there's no reason why we shouldn't be at the forefront there. You have to believe it, but above all I will try to have fun. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a race. We will have to find a solution in Malaysia. »

And for that, he will have to put himself in the red again and drive beyond the limit as he has been doing since the opening of the season. “I’m driving beyond the limit,” he assures. But for me that's not the only problem, the problem is that we ride in a different way than others. When I'm alone, you can see that my rhythm is still super solid. In racing, it's always difficult. For the future, I think we need to develop a bike that is suitable for winning races (…). »

And to continue: “This is what we have to work on, to turn tighter, and have less passing speed. For me, this is the most important, because alone, I am always fast. Even in Austria, a circuit which is not the best for us, we had one of the best paces. This is something we must realize. We need a bike that goes fast in the race, not just in testing.”