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Fabio Quartararo can finally breathe a sigh of relief. On the second day of testing at Portimao, the Frenchman managed to take the step forward he had hoped for, finding the turning point. The path taken is therefore the correct one and the former world champion appears confident in what has been done.
On his part, in fact, he is fully aware of the significance of the third place obtained just over three tenths from the top.
“A massive step today - Quartararo said - Basically, we have been a little bit with last year’s aero package, some old set-ups on the bike and it was working. We could see where the problem was. No, it was really good. I feel at one with the bike. Still missing a few things on the feeling, but I never made 1m38.3s in this track. So, I think it’s pretty good.
Things seem as if they are looking up.
“We are in a better position. I think it’s pretty good to see we have made an improvement, still not where I wanted to be but I think it’s a great step. Also, in the test the grip is a little bit different to the races, so hopefully it’s going to help us.”
Fabio then explained the work done.
“I think basically for four years we have been almost with the same bike. But this year we have been changing quite a lot, and I think too much because the others have been going step by step. But for three years it was the same, and then completely different and for me we got lost. We’ve gotten back with what we used in the past but with small modifications. It will be difficult in the beginning, but if Yamaha keeps working and brings some stuff I think we can be there in the second part of the season.”
Certainly in Iwata they have done everything possible to meet the demands of the Frenchman.
“Yesterday we lost the whole day while today we worked on aerodynamics and geometry to find the confidence I needed. In terms of aerodynamics, the bike has changed and I think there's a difference compared to last year."
Remaining on the subject, that aero evolution at the rear caused quite a stir.
“I don't know if we'll use it or not, also because I don't know if it's better or worse. When I went out, my mechanic said that he hoped it didn't work because it wasn't very aesthetically pleasing ”.
Fabio's attention then turned to his performance on the track.
“I think with the soft, on the first lap I was little bit too conservative. And basically I could have really pushed a little bit more because my last lap was ’38.8 with 12 laps on the tyre. Yesterday on the time attack I made a '39.6 for one lap, and today on the pace I was '39 low-'38 high. So it’s close to one second faster in the pace. It was tough because we were really lost, but today we have found our way. So I think that it's going to be an intense first races.”
So Fabio is ready even if Ducati remains the bike to beat.
“Are you asking me if Yamaha has finally made a bike that allows me to attack and overtake? If I hadn't seen Bagnaia's time, I'd say yes (smiles). To tell the truth, it’s still not where I want it to be, but I think that we’ve made a great, great step. As I said, I'm still missing something in confidence, but we’ll see what happens."
