After a stormy rookie campaign in 2019 with Petronas SRT on Yamaha’s “B-spec” M1, in which he achieved seven podiums and six poles, Quartararo was accepted into their factory team by the Japanese brand for 2021 at the beginning of last year.
Since Maverick Vinales was also taken over, Quartararo’s signing was at the expense of Rossi, who spent 15 seasons with the Yamaha factory team and won four of his seven premier class titles for the brand.
Though Quartararo was adamant last year that he “can’t replace” Rossi, the fact was that Yamaha wasn’t ready to wait for Rossi to decide his own future to stave off Ducati’s interest in Quartararo.
After an inconsistent 2020 with SRT due to a difficult Yamaha motorcycle, Quartararo has reached his previous Grand Prix career in 2021, winning four races – Doha, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands – and entering the summer break with a 34 point lead.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Quartararo says he hasn’t felt any added pressure since joining the Yamaha factory team, but admits the responsibility of taking Rossi’s place was great.
“Yes, I think about the pressure for myself, I think it will be something normal,” Quartararo began.
“I think I’ve had pressure all my life and right now I feel like it’s normal. So let’s say I’m used to it.
“There will surely come a moment when there is a lot more when you’re fighting for the championship in a race, but right now I feel like the pressure is the same and normal.
“And the responsibility is great. Instead of Valentino, everyone was waiting for me to get great results and everything.
“But I’m there, I think I’m doing a really great job and I have the feeling that the team is not only happy about me, but also about my crew, the way we work, the atmosphere in the Team on both sides with the mechanics is good.
“So the whole team is working on the right path and I think that helps a lot.”
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After a tough end to his 2020 season, where he climbed from championship leader to eighth place in the last six races, Quartararo worked with a sports psychologist over the winter.
Such a move is no stranger to it, Quartararo explained how this helped him in 2021.
“To be honest, I’ve only been there twice since November 2020, but that’s enough for me,” he said.
“My main goal was for him to help me stay calm. He gave me some exercises to do before the exercises or when I feel like I need to do these exercises.
“I think right now it’s just a reminder for me that when I’m angry or unhappy, I just do these exercises, and it keeps me calm.
“It is not more. The exercise takes less than five seconds, so I can do it anytime – even on a bike.
“Well, it’s very simple and I feel like it only helps me stay calm.
“And then the path of maturity and experience, I’ll take it from last year and realized in winter what I had to work on.
“But more than working with a psychologist, it was just [finding] a way to keep me calm. “