Fabio Quartararo finished the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in seventh place. The MotoGP World Champion was once again the best Yamaha rider, with Andrea Dovizioso finishing 15th and Franco Morbidelli 16th. After four races, Quartararo is fifth in the World Championship. He is 17 points behind Enea Bastianini.
“Honestly, I’m happy with my placement because I fought like it was about winning,” Quartararo commented on his seventh place in Austin. “But it was mentally tough when you see the other bikes pulling away on the straight.”
“We can’t fight for the podium on a circuit like this. The other bikes have really made a step. I would even say several steps while we didn’t make any. The engines have been developed for 18 months.”
“They made a very big progress and we didn’t. That’s why there is this difference. Overtaking is a mission for us, very difficult. When I see the others overtaking me on the straight. Our overtaking spot was turn 7. That’s where I had to give everything.”
Duel with Marc Márquez was a lot of fun and important
In the last third of the race, Quartararo was caught by Marc Márquez (Honda). The two fought a close duel for sixth place until the end. In the end, Marquez just had the upper hand. Despite this, Quartararo says: “I enjoyed the fight with Marc.”
Once there was even a touch. What happened? “His foot slipped and I elbowed him,” said the Frenchman. “But it was nothing, Marc didn’t do anything wrong.”
“In a race like this I learn more than in races that I’ve won. I’ve learned a lot and I’m happy because even though I have less engine power, I’ve pushed the limit. When the day comes when I have more power, I’ll get a better result then.”
“You have to learn everything and I think Marc will be a World Championship contender. I’m trying to do my best to be a title contender too. You can always learn something by driving behind an eight-time world champion.”
“Even if it was only for sixth place, I had a lot of fun. It was also a good preparation in case I have such a fight for first or second place. Learning from a competitor like Marc is very important .”
“He has competed in so many races, has so much experience and has won many world championships. For me, he is currently the driver from whom you can learn the most. I always give my 100 percent – even for sixth or seventh place.”
Quartararo also states that he doesn’t care that he’s the best Yamaha rider: “You can see that this bike is struggling, but you can’t have that in your head. I go into every weekend with winning in mind . Then we adjust the target based on performance.”
“Now we continue in Europe with better tracks. I will do my best so that I can fight for the World Championship. I would say that Portimao is good for us but not the best track. It depends on a lot there .”
“When you start first and you can keep your pace, it’s great. But in the autumn I was stuck behind Ducatis and couldn’t overtake. If you can go away, or if you’re in the top 3, then a good result is possible. Portimao is 50-50. Jerez will be a good track for us.”