Fabio Quartararo marks his way into the factory Yamaha seat with a strong display in 2019 with Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team.
Yamaha signed the Frenchman at the start of the 2021 season as a replacement for the veteran Valentino Rossi who had spent 15 years with the factory team, winning four of his seven premier class titles.
Despite coming in as a less experienced rider to teammate Maverick Vinales, Quartararo quickly carved his name as the no.1 rider for the Iwata outfit.
The 22-year-old rider currently in the best form of his career, securing 156 points thanks to winning four races in Doha, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands.
Nonetheless, Quartararo admits there wasn’t any added pressure despite replacing Rossi’s spot on the M1.
“Yes, I think for me about the pressure, I think it becomes something normal.
“I think I had pressure all my life, and right now, I feel it’s something normal. So, let’s say I’m used to it.
“For sure, there will arrive a moment where it’s much more if you are fighting in one race for the championship, but, at the moment, I feel the pressure is the same and normal.
“And the responsibility is huge. Taking the place of Valentino, everyone was waiting for me to make great results and everything,” said Quartararo during an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
Quartararo will be back in action in August at the Red Bull Ring.
(source: Motorsport.com)
