A crystalline victory. There is no other way to describe what Fabio Quartararo did in Mugello today, one of the tracks that Ducatis super favorites should have seen on paper. Fabio, however, was flawless, took advantage of Pecco Bagnaia’s fall and scored the first important goal in the championship ranking thanks to a 24 point lead over Johann Zarco, who is fourth and first among the rivals in the championship today.
MotoGP Sunday was apparently tarnished by the news of Jason Dupasquier’s death. and Fabio Quartararo, speaking to journalists, confirmed how difficult it is to remain clear in such a situation.
“I’m very emotional, it’s very difficult today – said Quartararo – It was difficult to stay on track, every time I passed the scene of the accident I thought of Jason Dupasquier, I’ve done it 24 times and it’s not easy to cope with the situation when you are traveling at 340 km / h is on the go and you have to be very focused. This race is for him. “
Has it ever crossed your mind not to race this Grand Prix?
“No, I never thought about not racing. I’m a very sensitive person. I thought about winning for him, I had no other goals. I never thought about not driving. It was difficult. The emotions were very strong for me. ” it was difficult to stay focused “.
Can one ever be prepared for such situations?
“You can’t be prepared for situations like this, but every time I cross Turn 9, it was always the same. I think it’s a step by step feeling that one goes away during the race. I never met Jason, he was a boy. And losing a driver is always difficult, we are all ready, we know the risks of this sport. But when it comes down to it, we try to carry on and quickly forget ”.
Do you think it would be better to observe the minute’s silence at a different time during the weekend than just before your race?
“I think the minute’s silence is a moment of respect for a driver who is no longer there. It is not easy for us but I think it is right to do it before we start, there is no more convenient time. I don’t want to talk about Jason anymore. It’s our job, we know things like this can happen. Unfortunately, that’s our job. We drive at 350 km / h and that is not normal. He doesn’t come back, that’s the way it is ”.
So let’s talk about the present and a 2021 that looks really different with a perfect Quartararo.
“Last year was a good and a bad year. When I lost my chance to win the World Cup in Portimao, I felt terrible, but just two weeks later I was happy and told myself that I had learned so many things that I would apply in 2021. The whole season is going well, with the exception of Qatar 1, where I did a rookie race. We were also on the podium in Le Man and I was right at the front in Jerez. Everything was perfect here, I had no pain in my arm. I think I’m more mature than last season “.
The Yamaha also seem to have made a big step forward, now even the starter device is working well.
“Yes, that’s it. Great start thanks to the machine, I wanted to take the lead right away, but had to wait for Pecco to fall. We have a really complete package. We don’t have the best top speed, but I don’t think anyone expected to see a Yamaha, a KTM and a Suzuki on the podium here. I have the confidence to get by without the best speed. I have great feelings about the front of the M1 and in the end there aren’t that many tracks with a very long straight. We’ll see what happens in Barcelona, one of my favorite tracks. “