“Retro Sports 3/9”. The Niçois, the first French world champion in MotoGP, in 2021, did not move far from keeping his title in 2022. Finally beaten by the Italian Francesco Bagnaia, the pilot revisited this year.
Interviews collected by Jérôme Porier
First French world champion in MotoGP, the queen speed category, in 2021, Fabio Quartararo, 23, lived a complicated 2022 season due to the power deficit of his Yamaha against the Armada of the Ducati. The Niçois, Dauphin of the Italian Francesco Bagnaia, nevertheless draws up a positive assessment of the past year.
What personal assessment do you make of the year 2022?
At the start of the MotoGP season, as outgoing champion, I hoped to do better than second, but it quickly appeared that I could not fight on equal arms with the Ducati, faster in a straight line. I had no safety margin, I really piloted at the limit throughout the season. Under these conditions, finishing behind Francesco Bagnaia can be considered a satisfactory result, even if I am a competitor and I do not satisfy it.
With my team, we have sometimes lost points stupidly due to technical problems, including a recurring problem of overpressure of tires. But it is in difficult times that we learn the most. This year, I also extended my contract with the Yamaha team, in which I feel good. Finally, I tell myself that it is not so bad, even if I expected much more of my motorcycle. The year was rich in emotions, I gave my maximum, I still acquired experience, all of this is positive.
The looks on me have changed, it’s true, but I don’t feel additional pressure. The title of 2021 is rather a source of motivation for me. Having started in a very young race, around 7 years old, allowed me to get used to the demands of the competition very early on. As a young pilot, my main fear has long been not to have a handlebars to compete, so I manage to put things into perspective what happens to me.
There have been a lot of Falls in MotoGP this year. The Spaniard Marc Marquez, who has long dominated the category, suffered a lot to return to the highest level after his arm injury in 2020. In the race, do you think of the danger?
On the motorcycle, I am not afraid, even if I happen to make me scares when I lose adhesion at the front at almost 400 km/h. I try not to think about it too much, because being afraid of the fall can cause losing hundredths. The most important thing is that I continue to have fun, because it is when I have fun that I give the best of myself on the motorcycle.
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