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We have had to wait 21 years to hear the Marseillaise again in the premier class, and Quartararo was the man who at Jerez brought an end to a winless period that had lasted since Regis Laconi won the 500cc race at Valencia in 1999. Fabio joins a very exclusive club, because in addition to him and the aforementioned Laconi only Sarron (in 1985) and Monneret (in 1954) had managed to take victory in the premier class.
"I'm proud" summed up the Petronas rider, who yesterday stressed that victory was the only important thing and today he can think of how to celebrate in the paddock.
"Of course it is the best day of my life - he smiled - But I missed having my family here with me and the fans in the stands."
There is a good chance that he will have other opportunities to have both…
"I almost didn't realize I had won, but when I got to the pits, with my team, then it was an incredible emotion - he said - Those were the longest 10 laps of my life, it was difficult to keep concentrated with the heat that made the asphalt slippery. The last lap, then, I thought sector by sector, in the last one I was very slow. But it was easier to stay focused than last year in Thailand, where I fought with Marquez. "
It was not a problem, because Vinales was at a safe distance, but the start of the race was not the best for him.
“I didn’t start well and I found myself behind the two Ducatis of Miller and Bagnaia, which on the straight were like airplanes. It is not exactly the way you want to start a race, but I stayed calm, it was what I had told myself to do all these months. "
The plan worked…
“Also because the track conditions were very different to yesterday in FP4 - he explained - I knew that after the Moto2 race there would be less grip, but I didn't expect such a big drop. We lapped one second slower if we look at the rhythm. "
Quartararo seems to have learned a lot from his race…
“It was the first one on the M1 2020 and I didn't feel as comfortable as on the old one - he confessed - I learnt a lot of things, especially how to interpret the track conditions. Having made pole position yesterday I knew I was fast, but I didn't expect to be able to get away from the others. As I said, I learned a lot today, even about the tyres. "
Surely this victory is the turning point that was expected of you....
“I don't know if it will change my life - he reflects - At the moment I only know that I will have to stay focussed because there are so many races in a short time. The important thing is that I feel good on the bike, we have found a good base, for the rest we will see. "
It will also be important not to make mistakes, as happened to Marquez…
“A crash or a breakdown can happen to everyone - warns Fabio - Everyone knows his mentality, today he had the best pace of all, in the warm-up he had been impressive, but in the race the track conditions changed a lot. I hope he returns soon; his absence would affect the championship because he is the favourite. "
Now for Quartararo it's time to celebrate…
“It doesn't happen every day to win your first race in MotoGP, you have to enjoy it. But tomorrow I will already be focused on the next GP. "
