Fabio is one rider who starts his own bike

PETALING JAYA: Former Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT) rider Fabio Quartararo has a peculiar habit.

Strange as it may seem, the Frenchman is the only MotoGP rider who starts his own bike when on the grid.

Quartararo will race for the Yamaha factory team alongside Spaniard Maverick Vinales for the new season starting in March.

“Even while doing testing in Valencia back in 2018 when I first started, I was trying to start the bike and all the team crew members were laughing. They have never seen a rider going to start the bike as it is always the mechanic’s job.

“But for me, I am not just a rider but a person working in the team. If there is no engineer, the bike cannot work. If there is no mechanic, the bike cannot be built.

“I want to be part of the team. We treat each other as humans and everyone makes an impact in the team.

“I am not just a rider, move the bike and go in to race.

“For me, I will not say I want to race everytime but we want to race because for me, everyone is working harder than myself behind the scenes,” as he explained on the official website motoGP.com.

Quartararo endured a tough end to the 2020 MotoGP season.

The incoming factory Yamaha rider won three times for the Malaysian team in 2020 but his title challenge crumbled after a tough run of races from the French Grand Prix through to a disappointing finale afflicted by arm-pump problem in Portugal, in which he failed to reach the top six.

Having led for much of the campaign, the 21-year-old ended the year eighth in the standings and 44 points behind world champion Joan Mir of Spain.