Quartararo's rapid progress has surprised Petronas
Fabio Quartararo's strong start to life as a MotoGP rider has come as a surprise to his Petronas Yamaha squad, says team manager Wilco Zeelenberg.

Moto2 graduate Quartararo, who turned 20 years old on Saturday, leads the rookie standings after taking back-to-back top 10 finishes in the last two races in Argentina and Austin.
The Frenchman was also one of the stars of the Qatar pre-season test, qualifying fifth for the season opener at the track before stalling on the grid on his first MotoGP race outing.
Despite that mishap, Quartararo's rate of progression aboard the satellite Yamaha M1 - as well as the fact he hasn't yet crashed - has come as a shock to his own team.
“We didn’t expect Fabio to learn that fast," Zeelenberg told Motorsport.com. "The winter tests went well. Then, when we arrived to Argentina and Austin, where he had never ridden a MotoGP bike before, just after a couple of practice sessions he managed to be competitive.
"The statistics make it clear he is very fast and, moreover, he knows how to control the bike because he hasn’t crashed yet.
“In any case, we can’t forget he’s just made it to the [top] category, he’s very young and will make mistakes. Indeed, in Qatar, we already saw it - he stalled the bike on the sighting lap and had to start from the pitlane when he was the fifth on the grid.
"What surprised us was that after a blow like that, was able to go out and set same laptimes as the first riders. And if that wasn’t enough, he set the fastest lap of the race."
Zeelenberg added that it will be vital for the Petronas team to offer Quartararo support should the Nice-born rider's form start to dip.
“It is vital he has fun because you always have pressure and if he doesn’t enjoy it, the weekends will turn out to be so long," said the Dutchman. "And then, obviously we have to support him when the storm comes.
"In the difficult moments we will have to be together and give him our support, when he makes a mistake, because it will happen. Not just Fabio, everyone makes mistakes."

Fabio Quartararo, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / LAT Images

Previous article
Luthi's season in MotoGP a "good school" for Moto2
Next article
Redding picks up debut podium in British Superbikes

About this article
Series | MotoGP |
Drivers | Fabio Quartararo |
Teams | SIC Racing Team |
Author | Oriol Puigdemont |
Quartararo's rapid progress has surprised Petronas
Trending
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title