As the 2022 preseason fires into action at Sepang tomorrow, MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo is still searching for one thing: top speed.
With Monster Energy Yamaha launching its bid to claim not just the riders, but team and manufacturers titles for the coming year, Quartararo echos the same comment he concluded his winning season with. His YZR-M1 needs more horsepower.
“The request I have is I need more top speed,” the Frenchman said simply from Malaysia ahead of the weekend’s two days on track. “There is no problem in the box. Everyone is like a family, everyone has really good atmosphere in the box. I don’t need someone that knows me really well, but someone who will find horsepower. We will see tomorrow!”
Having claimed the MotoGP Championship in only his third season in the premier class you might expect the 22-year-old to feel the pressure of defending the title this time around, but you’d be wrong. Quartararo is both confident and relaxed ahead of the coming battle and more motivated than ever now he knows what it’s like to be on top of the world.
“Is not extra pressure or extra weight for me because I achieved my dream since I was a kid,” he explained. “I did it! Most of the riders can’t achieve that goal so I don’t feel is an extra weight. I feel it’s more like an extra motivation because I felt the feeling of winning the world championship and I want to do it again.
“Of course everyone have pressure but I don’t feel like someone who has more pressure or not, for me is a total new year. I start the year with no championship. For me it’s like I don’t need to defend my title, just need to win it and that’s it. Last year is last year and this is a brand new year, brand new year for everybody. So that’s it, no defending the title.
“I never struggled with pressure,” he confirmed. “The last time I saw psychologist was in 2020 so is a long time I have not seen someone. I think is super important for me that I have the motivation and I don’t think is an extra pressure, like I said before. What I’ve struggled with in the past is, I get angry super fast and that’s why I’ve been to psychologist but now I never really get angry for small reasons like in the past. That’s why I’ve been to psychologist but for the pressure I’ve always been quite okay, apart from when I was 15 or 16 years old. When they compare myself to Marc, there I had a lot but right now I have not a specific pressure.
Talking of Marc Marquez, the eight-time champion looks to be back on fighting form once again after a torrid two years of injury and rehabilitation. A formidable force when launching a title bid.
“To be honest, I’m really happy for Marc because I have a really good relationship with him and the last two years have been really tough for him,” Quartararo said. “As soon as he was back again at his top level he had the injury in the eye so was tough two years for him. I’m really happy that Marc is back because I always say that in 2019 I’ve learned a lot from him and I think I still have a lot to learn. So I’m happy he is back and looking forward to fight with him.
“Is the same feeling with Marc or not,” he continued, referencing winning the championship without Marquez at full fitness. “Last year the taste of the World Championship is the same. I can say the same that this year is no more Valentino Rossi on the grid. So for me to win ’21 or ’22 is the same. No more difficult will be to win ‘22 with or without Marc. Is nothing special.
“Of course Marc is a rider that for me the last 10 years is the fastest, the reference for every rider but for me without Marc or with Marc, the title will taste the same. Right now is the goal to fight for the championship and Marc is here. So let’s see.
“I will not look at nobody,” he admitted, focussing his attention on Saturday’s opening test action at Sepang. “Is three months I’ve not been on the motorcycle, on the MotoGP. So first of all I need to look at myself. How fast I will be but I will not focus on everybody tomorrow.
“Of course you will always look the fastest lap time. I will not look specifically at Marc or Pecco [Bagnaia] or whoever, I would just look the fastest lap time and where we lose. I will not really look at Marc, I know he’s a strong guy. He’s contender for the title since ever, so there is no problem. I will look at myself first and then we will see in Indonesia.
“Last year was only my third year in MotoGP. You learn every time you go on the bike and you learn not only to be more fast, but to be more consistent, to have more mentality, more self belief. Is a normal process that for me, every time I’m on the bike, I’m learning something, and I need to do mistakes to learn. Last year I did a lot of mistakes but I learned also from those mistakes and that’s why every time we make steps and I think is really important.
“I’m really focused on 2022 and the test,” he said when met with contract questions. “So for my future, let’s say I have someone already taking care and I have confidence but at the moment, for me is not the moment to talk about my future. Is about the present and the test. Let’s see what happens with my future but at the moment I’m focused on the present and fight for making the best bike for 2022.”
