Despite there being no shortage of surprises due to a technical problem that stopped him halfway through Valencia pre-qualifying, Fabio Quartararo was able to get a coveted place in Q2 thanks to his tenth quickest time, which should make his job easier tomorrow morning. Able to improve on the free practice that ended in 14th place, El Diablo appeared far from satisfied in front of the media.
"When the problem occurred in the afternoon, I realized I was dirty with fuel, so I had to change my leathers to avoid being burnt on the straights," he declared with a smile, "In general, it wasn't a great day. I struggled to find confidence with the front, which is usually our strong point. Despite the modifications we made, we couldn't find a solution. Hopefully we can tomorrow because even on the single lap I don't feel comfortable and in general we are behind."
The Yamaha seemed particularly nervous when opening the throttle. Is this a real feeling?
"Our bike is aggressive in power delivery, but it isn't a real problem. In view of the way the engine is built, the acceleration isn't smooth and in some corners it emerges more."
What isn't working?
"We exploit the front end a lot under braking, but here for example, in Turn 1 it's like being in the wet. I try to do my best, but the feeling is not the same as in Portugal, so we will see how to solve it."
Have you looked at Augusto Fernandez's data?
"No, I will wait for Tuesday's test. I don't consider it crucial right now. I asked the test team what they had to do, but I did it just out of curiosity. Nothing important."
Photo Credit: Pier Luca Brunetti