The young Frenchman from Yamaha has scored more valuable points on the scoreboard by finishing the race on the third step of the podium and currently first in the championship with 131 points, followed by Johann Zarco (Ducati) at -22. It was a demanding race and since Fabio still had doubts about his strategy yesterday, it has to be said that overall he was able to maintain his championship lead.
“It was a very positive day, even if it was definitely more demanding than the last few races. I didn’t expect to run so well, I did my best and always went to the limit – said the French – we knew that in the second” Sector in turns 6 and 7 we would have had some problems and it was like that in the race, I had good pace but I knew it would be difficult to get on the podium so I focused on the race to finish well and try to finish ahead of the Ducatis if possible. With this win, Marquez gained a lot of confidence, we have to keep an eye on him, Miguel and the three Ducatis for the rest of the championship. “
The Sachsenring is traditionally a narrow circuit that limits the opportunities for overtaking. How hard was it to get out of the group you were in at the start of the race?
“The start didn’t go as I had hoped and I had some problems braking in the first corner, I have to work on that. When it started raining, I thought back to Le Mans, but overtaking on this track is a nightmare, then I saw how Marquez and Oliveira broke away from the rest of the group and focused on managing the tires well and attacking Aleix and Miller It was a very positive race, I feel like I’ve learned a lot, both in tire management and in my mental calm. The feeling was there, but not the right feeling for this track. “
All drivers on the podium today had reason to be happy. Marquez for obvious reasons for getting back on the podium, Oliveira for continuing to show that he is competitive. Can we also say that you scored more valuable points in the table?
“I think the points are important and in the current situation in the championship it is certainly important to get on the podium and keep collecting points, but at Assen I will not go with a view to what Zarco is doing, I will drive to the best. ” my ability to win. “
Your Yamaha and Vinales seem to be on different tracks, you are on the podium and he finished last. What’s happening?
“To be honest, I don’t know, certainly the feeling was different this weekend, especially at the front. I think they are trying different setups, but I prefer to focus on my results at the moment. Vinales is definitely a great rider, but I prefer to keep my eye on my rivals in the overall standings rather than at Yamaha.
Do you think Marquez can thwart this year’s championship record after Marquez returned to victory today?
“I’m happy for him after what he went through and Oliveira also had a good race and scored points. It is certainly possible that he will continue to improve during the championship and finally know how to return to his pre-injury level, we are still in the middle of the season “.
This year’s bike’s new chassis seems to have greatly improved Yamaha’s performance, and what about the rider instead? You seemed to compensate for Yamaha’s traditional disadvantage on this track today.
“The bike has improved a lot, although we still had some problems on this track. As for me, I think I’ll keep improving as a rider, not so much in terms of my speed as my head . Being fast is not enough, you also have to keep a clear head and know how to make the right decisions in the race and I think that this is where I can improve ”.
How important is this podium after Barcelona?
“The last race was weird, these penalties and this leather problem ruined a great race. Monday’s tests were very useful so getting back on the podium in the next race is definitely a positive experience.”