Fabio Quartararo alone against the horde of Ducati for the title of world champion

“Have a break” for Fabio Quartararo. “Have a Kit Kat” for Thomas Maubant. The French Moto GP rider really needed the humor of his “helper” after his poor performance during the Thailand Grand Prix. The Yamaha rider could not do better than a 17th position, one of his worst races, when Francesco Bagnaia returned to just two small points in the world championship thanks to his 3rd place.

A break was therefore clearly necessary for the reigning world champion. “I went with friends to Sydney, to Melbourne, we had a lot of fun. I didn’t really need to take a break but I wanted to think about nothing but having fun. I wanted to spend time like that, “said Fabio Quartararo in an interview with The TeamFriday.

The “error” of Quartararo and his chief mechanic

A speech that interrupts two weeks of silence, when Fabio Quartararo did not appear before the media after his poor performance in Thailand. He “apologized” for this “error”, a behavior he adopted to “not speak badly of the team”.

Diego Gubellini, its chief mechanic, admitted having made a mistake on the tire pressure of the Yamaha, in Thailand. As if the Frenchman needed that, as his lead in the world championship over Francesco Bagnaia, his main competitor, has melted like snow in the sun since the return from the summer break. Because of a bike that clearly lacks power in a straight line, “it’s like being behind a door, blocked”, he describes, before reassuring himself: “If I remember correctly, I’m still first in the championship. . »

“Pecco has enough talent to win alone”

If he is first in the standings, he is still alone against a horde of Ducati. That of Bagnaia, therefore, but not only. Johann Zarco, the other French rider on the board who races with Pramac Racing, a Ducati satellite team, admitted to having team orders since the Misano Grand Prix on September 4, so as not to disturb Pecco Bagnaia. Third in the last laps in Thailand, the Frenchman had not attacked the Italian, when he could aim for victory. “They have almost half of the championship, we have seen recently that they play a little with all the teams. I think Pecco has enough talent to win on his own,” regretted Quartararo, who judges Zarco’s behavior “not great”.

The Yamaha rider wants to build on the experience of his world championship title gleaned the previous season, and on a change of strategy within his team: “We no longer think of the championship, but of the races”, explains- he. And there are only three left. The final sprint is launched this Sunday, in Australia.