Quartararo: “I have good memories here”

Last year, the protagonists of the MotoGP visited the Misano circuit twice and for fabio quartararo, the second stopover was mainly that of his coronation. Although qualified 15^e (his worst result in the premier category to date), the Frenchman rose little by little in the hierarchy to cross the finish line at the foot of the podium, deprived of third place by Enea Bastianini in the last lap. 

Francesco Bagnaia having made a mistake, Quartararo was however assured of the title. “It’s a special place to me, for a whole bunch of reasons,” he says. Of course, for the title last year. But in 2019, I really fought for victory there for the first time. It's a circuit that I love and I hope I can do well this weekend too. »

Once again, Quartararo will have to deal with a horde of Ducatis. No less than 9 Desmosedici will appear on the grid this weekend (including Michele Pirro, wildcard for the occasion). You will also have to pay attention to the weather which promises to be capricious throughout the weekend. “Recently, it's pretty normal to fight against them, but I've always been fast at Misano,” reassures the Yamaha rider. During the first race, we fought until the end with Pecco. I couldn't attempt to overtake, but we were close. The second race was different. It seems like the weather is tricky, but it's the same for everyone. »

And added: “In Austria, it was quite special, because I was always in the middle (of the Ducatis, editor’s note). Of course, they have almost half the championship with their bike… they have a lot of riders and a lot of good riders. Aleix is ​​also fast on all circuits and not just the Ducati. In Austria I wouldn't say it was fun, but there were a lot of Ducatis flying around. It was difficult… they all have a similar motorcycle. Their way of accelerating or my driving style is different. It's complicated to double or maintain the speed in curves that I'm used to. We are able to stay with them, but the most difficult thing is to overtake. But I think Austria was a good experience for me and it will help me for the future. »

An important test after Misano

Tuesday and Wednesday, the MotoGP riders will meet on the Misano circuit for two days of testing. This official test promises to be crucial for many of them, but especially for Yamaha which is developing a new YZR-M1 with a new, more powerful engine. “(…) We will test the 2023 motorcycle and engine,” he confides. We've already done a small test in Barcelona and it looks like we'll be able to do a better test here in Misano. I am very impatient. »