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Fabio Quartararo believed that his time of 1’22.677 was good enough for pole at the Red Bull Ring, but he hadn't reckoned with Jorge Martin. So the Frenchman had to settle for second place on the grid, without even taking advantage of the second soft tire available.
"It was something great to be under the 1’23” in Q2, and actually it was quite funny because when I did the 22.6 I knew it was so fast, but at one stage I said ‘is it 23.6 or 22.6’ because it was a really fast lap - he explained - We are struggling a lot in sector 1, but in sector 2 and 4 I’m feeling really strong with the bike. Of course, the taste of pole position in a track that is tough for us would have been great, but I mean the front row is still fantastic."
What happened in your second exit in qualifying?
"I found some riders in front of me waiting, usually I don't care but today I knew I needed someone in front to improve, a bit of slipstream would help me. So I decided not to tow anyone, I knew I would have remained in the front row”.
Are you confident for the race?
"In FP4 we showed that our pace was really strong with all tyres; with all rear tyres I felt great. I didn’t feel the drop like the last race. In a race it’s a totally different story, but comparing both FP4’s I feel like with the used tyre I was already having a really good pace.”
What’s your goal for tomorrow?
“I don't have a clear goal because in the race on this track it is difficult for us to fight, it will depend a lot on what happens in the first laps. I will definitely give my best, I have a pace that should allow me to fight for the podium, but I will not do anything crazy, I will not push beyond my limits”.
Martin also declared that he would be happy to finish in the top 5 ...
“I was in his situation in 2019: I wanted to win, but as a rookie you can say whatever you want (laughs). I know very well that he wants to win, he must enjoy and take advantage of this moment, if he is intelligent he will do it”.
What has the weekend been like on your own in the garage?
"The atmosphere is fantastic, I also had one of Vinales’s mechanics who helped us, he worked on my bike, and I have to thank him because he could have gone home."
