ROOKIE SHOCKS MOTOGP
Quartararo is bang on the pace at Qatar
‘You have to be aggressive but still smooth’
MotoGP rookie Fabio Quartararo shocked the MotoGP paddock by revealing blistering pace on the new Petronas Yamaha, ending the three-day test not only battling for top rookie honours but jostling factory riders on the timesheets.
Perhaps the least experienced of this year’s crop of four rookies at only 20 years old and with a CV that had some questioning the decision to bump him up to the premier class so soon, he’s already repaid the Malaysian team’s faith with his fast pace. Quartararo said: “I remember watching Jorge in the past on the Yamaha and he was always really smooth and I think that is how you need to ride the bike. It’s difficult to explain, but you have to be aggressive but still smooth with the Yamaha. That comes naturally to me, although when I made my fast lap times maybe I was a little more aggressive and less smooth!
“Right now, it’s difficult to say what I’m still missing and I’m still improving every time I ride the bike, but for sure it’s a little bit on the braking, a little bit on how I pick up the bike and accelerate. It’s a package and we need to improve everywhere. But I need to race before I can see what I need to learn.”
But while the French racer is making rapid improvements, he’s still got strong opposition in the battle for rookie of the year, with Sepang test standout Pecco Bagnaia still the favourite for that title. Also enjoying a strong test at the Losail circuit, the Italian says that he’s happier with the work done in Qatar than in Malaysia. He said: “Every day was positive and every day we were closer to the front, and my pace is improving. The lap time in Malaysia was incredible but the pace wasn’t that good, but in Qatar we’ve been concentrating on pace, starting every run with new tyres and with a full tank of fuel. If we continue in this way then I can learn more. I don’t want to stay at the top of the timesheets but not understand how the bike works. I’m learning that you need to concentrate on the rear tyre with a MotoGP bike and on how to manage it, and that is helping a lot.”