Five days before traveling to Austin, Yamaha announced the extension of the 2020 world champion's contract. In Texas, Quartararo justified his decision above all on the basis of the internal restructuring process started a few days ago within the technical area of the Japanese company. The most important example is the inclusion of Massimo Bartolini, Gigi Dall'Igna's right-hand man at Ducati, as technical director.
Before Quartararo's continuity was made official, many compared the rider's dilemma to that faced by Marquez last season, which led him to leave Honda after eleven years to join Gresini Racing, a satellite team, where he competes with a Ducati which isn't even the latest generation.
An adventure which, according to the Spaniard, took him out of his comfort zone in an attempt to get back to having fun with a competitive motorbike. Even though Quartararo has gone in the opposite direction, Marquez understands the reasons that led the boy from Nice to give the tuning fork brand another chance. The main one is that number 20 is 24 years old, seven younger than number 93, who turned 31 in February.
“I'm not surprised that Quartararo stayed at Yamaha. First of all because Yamaha is Yamaha and Honda is Honda. Sooner or later they will arrive. Many have made comparisons with my situation, but Fabio has much more time than me” , Marquez said in an interview with Motorsport.com last weekend in Austin.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
For the Catalan, another element that leads him to sympathize with his rival's decision is the absence of traumas like the one he experienced following the arm injury suffered in that race in Jerez in 2020, which led him to undergo four surgeries.
“He didn't go through a period like the one I went through, with a very important injury that even led me to doubt myself. This is fundamental”, added the rider from Cervera (Lleida), who reached the podium on Saturday in the Sprint and on Sunday he crashed while leading the long race.
Quartararo, however, ranked 15th on Saturday and 12th on Sunday, further proof of the fact that the road ahead for the Iwata manufacturer will not be covered in two days. After the first three Grands Prix of the calendar, the 2021 World Champion is 12th in the points standings and his best result so far is seventh place in Portugal.
“When you are in a project where you have been given a lot and you are promised more, it is normal to have that patience and that trust that it will come,” continued Marquez, aware that, in an ecosystem as competitive as the MotoGP World Championship , effort is not always rewarded. “You have to have confidence and also luck, because all the engineers work hard. The luck lies in the fact that they find the key that translates into a competitive bike,” added Marquez.
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