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“Satisfied with my qualifying, but frustrated by the position”, Fabio Quartararo could not be any clearer in commenting on his 5th place on the grid at Phillip Island. Not a bad position, but his two rivals in the standings, Bagnaia and Espargarò will be starting in front of him.
The Frenchman pushed his Yamaha to the limit, perhaps only a good tow could help him. Why not give it a try?
"The problem is not that I don't like doing it, but that to get behind someone I would have to slow down to wait for him and for me, especially on this track, it is important to heat up the front tyre - he explained - If I go slowly I risk cooling the tyre and then find it not ready, this is the reason why I am not looking for tows ”.
So he will have to make the best of what he’s got and deep down, Fabio knows very well that nothing is yet over.
"I did a great lap but it is never enough, however it is not a disaster, starting in the first two rows was the important thing - he underlined - It will be a strange race because everyone will suffer a lot of tyre wear, it is one of the worst tracks for this aspect. It will be interesting, even if it is not the best situation for us as we have to focus on cornering speed to exit fast. It’s going to be a big challenge”.
But Quartararo is aware that he still has some cards to play.
“My pace is not bad, in FP4 I was conservative with the tyres and the pace was good. I hope to be among the first, I feel confident - he continued - I don't know what I will have to do in the race, but I know that I will have to take care of my rear tyre. There are some points to overtake, like turns 4 and 10, but the important thing will be to think about the tyres, especially at the end of the race. Using one compound rather than another changes little. With the soft you can go faster at the beginning, but after a few laps it drops a lot. The point is not which tyre you choose, but how you manage it ”.
Many observers think that Bagnaia could be the man to beat.
“I didn't look at the pace, I was behind him in FP4 but we had different tyres. I think there are many riders who can go strong. Pecco is fast, but so am I” declared Fabio.
After all, it could be a decisive race for the title, in which it will be vital not to make mistakes.
"There is a lot to lose but also a lot to gain, what can you do when there is only a 2-point gap? You have to do your best and push yourself to the maximum" is his only possible strategy.
