Fabio Quartararo set about a dominant performance at Silverstone on Friday as he prepared to fight for the British GP with a long lap penalty.

The Monster Energy Yamaha rider was seen practicing the loop multiple times across the opening day of track action before setting the fastest time of the premier class, a 1’58.946, as the only rider to break through the ’59 barrier.

The Frenchman also faced a technical issue to kick off his difficult weekend, missing valuable time in FP1 but bounced back in fine style to run in the top four as the morning concluded.

“Yeah, it was good,” Quartararo said on his return to action after the summer break. “It was good, especially this morning I was struggling a lot on the brakes. I didn't remember how much was that bike braking so hard and was difficult the first five laps but then of course enjoying a lot and it was great to have that feeling on the bike.

“I think we have made quite a lot of circuits, first in practice, in the race not so much but on practice, yes,” he continued on the M1’s adaptability to the Silverstone layout. “But is a track that I really love, we know that in the past is a great track for Yamaha - even if it was seven different winners I think the last seven years - but I feel good on this track and I think that is a track that is working a little bit on every bike so I feel in myself confident.

“My goal is to be on the front row but we saw today how tight was the top ten. So of course I will try to manage to get front row. This is my main goal and if it's not going well, on the second row.

“I will fight for the win on Sunday,” the reigning champion confirmed despite facing a long lap penalty to be dispatched in the opening three laps. “Then we will see how much it penalise, that long lap penalty but looking at the pace I think we're not so bad.

“We will have some difficulties with that long lap penalty that will make our life a little bit more difficult but I'm confident and I think that the race is long and we have to fight for a great race here.

“To be honest, I focus on myself,” he said simply when questioned on his main rivals this weekend. “I think that the most important thing to do. Of course, I will check the pace of the other riders but my goal this weekend is to focus on my pace, try to be the fastest as possible, more consistent and then on the race I will check how is going. But my main goal is to focus on myself and try to make a step on the pace.”