Breaking news
MotoGP European GP
Quartararo: MotoGP title over if I don’t take risks in European GP
Fabio Quartararo says his championship “will be over” if he doesn’t “take big risks” from 11th on the grid in Sunday’s MotoGP European Grand Prix.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Nov 7, 2020, 5:00 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Petronas SRT rider has struggled all weekend in the wet conditions, and was fortunate to make it straight into Q2 due to Friday’s FP2 being run on a drying track.
With the track wet but drying for qualifying, Quartararo was once again on the back foot and could do no better than a 1m41.943s – which was 1.5s off the pole time – in a lowly 11th.
The Ricardo Tormo Circuit is notoriously tricky to overtake on, while Yamaha riders have repeatedly complained of how difficult it is to pass on the M1.
But with championship rivals Alex Rins starting second and points leader Joan Mir fifth, Quartararo admits he has “nothing to lose” from 11th and has to be “really aggressive” from the off.
“Honestly, the position I am in tomorrow, I really have nothing to lose,” Quartararo said when asked by Motorsport.com if Sunday’s race would be the most important of his season.
“My goal is to win the championship and if I don’t take big risks tomorrow, it will be over.
“So, now I’m really on the mood that I do the best, if I need to be really, really aggressive tomorrow I will be and if we crash or something it will be for a good reason.
“So, I just want to be in the best way possible. Of course, I’ll try to make a really good warm-up, which will be so important.
“But it will be really important for us tomorrow that we make a good race.”
Read Also:
Quartararo says he “tried everything” he could on his Yamaha to improve his “really bad” feeling in wet conditions, but it made no difference.
This has perplexed him, as he insists he’s “not a disaster” normally in the wet.
“I think I tried everything as a rider on the bike; braking in a different way, leaning the bike in a different way, using the brakes in a different way and the feeling is always the same,” he explained.
“I’m always losing the front, losing the rear, I’m sliding and floating all the time.
“So, for me this is kind of a feeling that is so difficult to understand why because last year in the wet in every single session we had, I was in the top 10 and this year with the situation we have, I’m in the top five – but from the last position.
“So, [it’s] difficult to understand why and really frustrating because I know I’m not a really good rider on the wet, but I’m not a disaster like this.”
Quartararo hasn’t been on the podium since his Catalunya win in September, but insists he’s still “strong enough” to win the championship.
“I’m strong enough, because when we have everything under control I am fast,” he added.
“We are struggling much more than last year but I am strong enough to fight for the championship.
“If I was not strong, I would have not won three races this year and not made some good races.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article European MotoGP: Espargaro puts KTM on pole in wet qualifying
Next article Vinales: 2020 MotoGP season a lost year for me, Yamaha
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Duncan
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
MotoGP
MotoGP
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
Latest news
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 56 min
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
1 h
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Moto2
MOT2 Moto2
Phillip Island
1 h
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe