Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo heads to Le Mans and his first MotoGP race in front of a home crowd since before the pandemic this weekend.

While the Bugatti Circuit has been quiet over the past two years, the 23-year-old has been racking up the silverware, but despite amassing nine victories and a championship trophy, a win on French soil still alludes him.  

“Is always super special to be on a home GP,” the Frenchman said of his first race in front of the local fans as MotoGP Champion. “I will give my best of course but, especially a home GP can make you more stressed or more pressure but I want to take this one like a normal one. Enjoy the fans and then to enjoy the race.

“I think no French MotoGP won here, ever,” he said of any potential ‘home advantage’. "Of course is always super special to see the fans cheering for us but I don't think is an advantage. In soccer you can really hear the people supporting for you, here unfortunately we can't hear them while we are racing but of course we're gonna do our best.

“It's difficult to know who is gonna be on top, fighting for the podium this weekend,” the Yamaha man continued. “Is a totally different track from Jerez and the most important is to work as usual. Work well on Friday, try to be already secured for the Q2 and then find the great tyres for the race, our pace, and try to make a great qualifying, that for us is super important.

“I really like sector one and four,” Quartararo reflected on the 4.2km Bugatti layout, famed for claiming many a rider at turn three in the more-often-than-not changeable conditions of northwest France. “Especially sector one is great when it's hot conditions.

“When it's cold, you know turn three - I think if not all the riders here, most of the riders have crashed in turn three because it's a really tricky corner but is a really nice sector. Last sector for me is really nice, going through the right and left is pretty nice and I think is, at least for me, is my favourite parts of the track.”

Once again the MotoGP paddock looks set for a rollercoaster weekend, at least where the weather is concerned with rain threatening across Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

“To be honest, of course, I will prefer dry,” the reigning champion explained but I think we make massive step in Mandalika, also in Portugal on the Saturday morning. Of course I prefer dry but will not be a problem I think, if it's raining.”