Interview with Fabio Quartararo: "I've won since I understood that I can't always be angry"

• Last race Fabio Quartararo remembers that he is the MotoGP champion in Portimao

• Classification This is how the World Cup goes

A silver and diamond pendant with his number, 20, shines on the neck of Fabio Quartararo (Nice, 1999), and it is rare.

"I've been wearing a cross ever since I was a kid, but the string broke while I was running in Austin and I haven't had time to fix it yet.

I'll do it as soon as I can.

They have left me this necklace so as not to go without anything, ”confesses the reigning champion and current leader of MotoGP.

On the outside, he is nicknamed

, he wears urban wide clothes, he makes greetings of those with many steps.

Inside, he is a young man who meditates, who has overcome hardships, who hides the world.

Are you a believer? I believe in God, yes, it runs in my family.

My maternal grandmother instilled it in my mother and she instilled it in me.

I don't go to mass every Sunday, but before I get on the motorcycle I pray for 20 or 30 seconds.

It is part of a series of things that reassure me.

Last week, for example, in Portimao, I finished the first training session on 18th and, despite this, I was calm, as if I had finished first.

I used to get angry about things like that. Because of training? I was always angry.

I haven't been to a psychologist for a year and a half because I don't need one, but in its day it helped me a lot.

In fact, I win since I understood with him that he couldn't always be angry.

Before, if the bike didn't work for me, it didn't help.

I have always been very cheerful and I have never insulted anyone, but he would come into my garage pissed off.

It was not the way to work on getting better.

Now I count the times I get angry and lately there have been very few. Champion and leader of MotoGP.

It's his best moment on the court... Outside too? When things go well, life is much happier.

It is unavoidable.

When things were worse for me it was also very difficult to forget. He has commented that it was difficult for him to assimilate that he is the champion. You understand it when you go to events and listen to it many times, but it took me a couple of months to be aware.

When I won the World Cup, the next day I had a bad hangover and that's it.

And the other day, I went to run to the maximum, to push myself to the limit, because that's the way to keep winning. Didn't your ego tempt you? I come from a very humble family and now I'm not going to come to the top.

I want to win more years and I'm not going to win if I don't keep my feet on the ground.

Being champion in 2021 will not be easier to be this year, quite the opposite;

Now everyone is waiting for me. Some whim must have been indulged. I bought a car, a sports car, but I still haven't received it.

It is what it says, a whim, but I have to continue working.

Marc Márquez

's physical problems

.

Do you feel the same? Not at all.

In the future they will look at who was the champion in 2021 and they will see my name.

I do not know why it is not going to be valued in the same way.

Marc is the benchmark for the last 10 years, but you have to stop thinking what would have happened if Marc had been healthy.

Marc fell and was injured;

It is something that can happen to all of us.

In fact, last season, he returned to racing and won three races.

But that doesn't matter, even if he hadn't won any, the title would have the same value.He hasn't yet signed a renewal with Yamaha for next year and they say other brands have tempted him.

Does the title of champion require a salary of a champion? I will not answer because I am not focused on that right now.

I have a clear objective, which is to win the World Cup again, and my representative is working on next year.

I haven't even set a time limit.

At some point I'll talk to my agent, I'll assess everything and I'll tell him: "I'm ready to sign." What he has made clear is that, beyond the money, he demands a faster bike from Yamaha. It's not a question of demanding, but when You have to hit the table, you have to hit it.

Right now we all have to do our best to have the best bike possible.

As I was saying before, I'm calm in the team, I just expect a lot from the next races.

Here in Jerez, for example, I want to win.

In 2020, when we ran here two races in a row, I won both and last year I was also fast [started first, but finished 13th due to physical problems].

This Sunday I have to win. The next race is in France, his country, although he grew up in Spain and now lives in Andorra.

Have you ever felt that you are from nowhere? I have always felt French.

I've been away,

but I run to cheer up my country, the French fans.

I think this year the race at Le Mans will be crazy.

The title has brought me closer to the public there, it has greatly increased the following in my country.

It wasn't like that before, but I understand: when a rider doesn't win it's harder to cheer him on than when he's champion.

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