The difficulty of the Fabio Quartararo Road Becomes the 2019 MotoGP Wonderkid

Paris- Yamaha SRT Petronas rider Fabio Quartararo made the difficult road before making a surprise appearance on this year's MotoGP debut. This 20-year-old racer revealed this directly to Speedweek media.

Fabio Quartararo kicked off the world of motor racing when he was 15 years old, when he won the 2013 and 2014 CEV Moto3, until he was nicknamed 'The Next Marc Marquez'. The nickname was increasingly attached, because he was also close to Marc Marquez, because at that time both were under manager Emilio Alzamora.

Alzamora gave Quartararo the chance to get off on Moto3 2015 with Estrella Galicia 0.0, and get permission to make his debut when he wasn't even 16 years old. Riding a Honda, he only won two podiums due to an ankle injury that was severe enough to make him fail competitive in the rest of the season.

In 2016, he moved to Leopard Racing, a successful champion with Danny Kent and Honda.

"I signed a contract with Leopard to drive Honda. Everything went well, but during the trial, they suddenly changed to KTM, without saying anything to me," he said.

KTM made El Diablo have to adapt from scratch, because he was already familiar with Honda, even since he was in CEV.

"I also believe our motorbike is not the same as the manufacturer's team. That's when my environment became more difficult, because my manager knew they would replace the engine, but kept it a secret from me," Fabio Quartararo said.

Had a Podium Famine

Quartararo also experienced a podium famine while defending Leopard and riding KTM. As a result, he parted ways with Alzamora. This bad moment also made people turn around underestimating him, and believed that his ferocious performance at CEV was just a coincidence.

Even so, the French rider was not too hurt. "At that time I was 17 years old, but I learned a lot. My results were bad, I had difficulties, I still remember those moments even though now people say I am working very well," said the French rider.

Quartararo is also heavily burdened by the nickname 'The Next Marc Marquez'. The nickname makes people expect themselves to be as sedentary as Marquez, and if it fails, he blames himself. "In difficult times, I ask myself, 'Why did you make a mistake?'" He said.

"It was a huge burden compared to Marc and demanded to win. I tried to forget everything, then insisted and pressed the 'reset' button on my head. In a bad moment, I worked hard. Although it was hard, it was that effort that brought me to this point, "he continued.

"2016 is a bad season when viewed from the side of the results, but a good season for learning. I learned to stay calm, because every race is a different story with different problems on the motor and team. My burden was really big at that time," he said .

Important Victory in Catalunya

 In 2017, Quartararo also boarded Moto2 earlier than it should, due to his growing height. He defended one of the prestigious teams, Pons Racing, and drove the Kalex chassis. He remained a podium famine, and his new manager, Eric Mahe, finally suggested moving to Speed ​​Up Racing in 2018.

Quartararo was doubtful, because it meant he defended four different teams in four years. Even so, under the direction of the team manager, Luca Boscoscuro, he finally felt comfortable, because he was not required to achieve good results, but was encouraged to learn. As a result, he again kicked off through victory at Catalunya.

"When I arrived at Speed ​​Up, it was also difficult at first, because I changed teams three times. But the boss never burdened me to go fast. He taught me to stay calm, work by my own method, and all succeeded. We made great progress in Barcelona "That was the best moment of my career," he said.

His victory in Catalunya with Speed ​​Up also made Quartararo ogled by Sepang Racing Team, Yamaha, and Petronas, who wanted to drop him in the 2019 MotoGP. People doubted again, because he was not even 20 years old.

Even so, with a team environment that was like his own family, Quartararo found a comfortable work environment, and kicked off through six poles and seven podiums. "They never put pressure. They just want me to calm down and do my best.

"They are a team that I immediately realized had that kind of mentality. Nobody pressured me. Everyone was calm and worked well. When the work was done, we could have fun together. We enjoyed time together outside the track," he concluded.

Quartararo, who will drive the YZR-M1 2020 manufacturer spec next season, will be back down the track in the Sepang MotoGP pre-season trials, Malaysia, 7-9 February. 2020 will be a crucial season for him, because he is staying digadang will move to Monster Energy Yamaha.

Loading...

Subscribe to receive free email updates: