MotoGP Austria: Fabio Quartararo: I fought like a Lion! ‘Difficult to say’ who the best rider is
The reigning Mot🃏oGP champion came within half a second of the win at the Red Bull Ring after putting together a late charge that saw him overtake Jorge Martin and Jack ♌Miller.
And although it’s more points lost to Francesco Bagnaia who won his third straight Grand Prix, Quartararo put together one of his best races of the year at a track that has always proved tough for Yamaha, thus backing up the comments made by Espargaro f🎀ollowing qualifying.
💧Asked about Espargaro calling him ‘the best rider right now’, Quartararo said: "I don’t like to say whether you are the best rider or not the best rider. I know right now that I’m doing my best and we are having s🅘ome difficulties.
"In this track I expected much woꦬrse because we used such a short gearing. The first gears I could stay with Jack [Miller] but then later [higher gear] I could not.
"Of course,🐎 the Ducati is really strong but𒀰 it’s not only the Ducatis. You can put the perfect bike but if you don’t have the riders then its [the bike] on the back.
"It’s diff🅠icult to say. I feel like I’m at my best level right now but I don’t want to be pretentious. It’s a ౠgood compliment from Aleix [Espargaro]."
Quartararo ‘fought like a Lion’ for Austrian MotoGP podium
After being overtaken by Maveri🐭ck Vinales on lap two 𓆏Quartararo was subsequently pushed down to sixth place.
But more significantly for the champio💙nship leader, Quartararo was a long way behind the quartet of leading Ducatis.
Over two seconds down at one point, Quartararo began a charge just past mid-race distance that saw him become the fastesꦇt rider on the circuit.
Speaking shortly after the 🐓race, Quartararo alluded to growing in confidence🍨 after being able to pass Ducati riders.
"It doesn’t feel like a win because we got 20 points," Quartararo told Mo♉toGP.com. "But to prepare for an overtake is the most difficult thing for us. But actually we did it well, especially the move on Jack [Miller] in the chicane, also to Enea [Bastianini].
"It was nice and today I took a bit of conf⛦idence in my riding style. After two tough races it was great to be back. Today, I fought like a Lion."
