Quartararo “needs to be clever” battling Vinales in Assen MotoGP race
Fabio Quartararo admits he “needs to be clever” in battling with Yamaha MotoGP team-mate Maverick Vinales in the Dutch Grand Prix.


Vinales will start from pole for the first time in 2021 after denying Quartararo by 0.071 seconds in a tight fight between the pair in qualifying at Assen on Saturday.
Quartararo appears to have the strongest race pace of the grid and comes into Sunday’s race 22 points clear in the championship standings, while his nearest rivals in Ducati trio Francesco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco and Jack Miller start behind him in third, fifth and sixth.
Vinales’ FP4 long runs are comparable to Quartararo’s, setting up the prospect of the first duel between the pair as factory Yamaha riders on Sunday.
“I think with Maverick we need to be clever, because it’s true that on the paper we have really good pace,” Quartararo said.
“So, I think if we need to play something in my opinion it’s great to be clever on the first lap and see at the end.
“But it will depend. I feel great to fight for the victory.
“It’s not that because my main contenders are behind me that I need to be careful.
“For me, it’s the beginning of the championship, we are not even in the middle.
“So, if I have one chance to fight for the victory I will go for it.
“If I’m too much on the limit, I’m not stupid so I will not make a mistake – or I will try not to make a mistake.
“So, it will depend on the situation, but right now I feel I can fight for it.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Following the five-week summer break after the Dutch TT, MotoGP will hold a double-header in Austria – one of Yamaha’s weakest tracks on paper owing to its top speed deficit.
When asked by Autosport if winning at Assen held a greater significance given the problems Austria could pose, Quartararo believes approaching Sunday’s race like this wouldn’t be correct at this stage of the championship.
“To be honest, Austria is a track that last year was a disaster for us but I think more because we knew all the problems that we had last year,” he explained.
“But for me the bike has improved a lot in the braking area and our holeshot device is working better.
“Electronics we still have no problem, so I think Austria is not a bad track for us.
“If you consider we stay the same, I think it’s going to be ok.
“Of course, we miss the top speed, but in 2019 I was able to fight for the podium and if I’m not wrong Maverick and Valentino [Rossi] finished fourth and fifth.
“It’s not a bad track for us, just it’s difficult, not the best one.
“Here, I will do my best. Even if I make a mistake or something, the championship is still really open.
“Of course I want to increase my gap in the championship but I don’t think it’s the way to approach the championship at the moment.
“So, I just want to enjoy tomorrow, it’s a fantastic track and enjoy the 26 laps.”
Related video

Bagnaia "lucky" to drop into Q1 in Assen MotoGP qualifying
MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix – Start time, how to watch & more

Latest news
Marquez “will be professional” to the end of Honda MotoGP deal
Alex Marquez says he will remain “professional” through to the end of his Honda MotoGP contract with LCR despite recently admitting a loss of motivation at the team.
Retiring MotoGP ace Dovizioso "really didn't expect" Yamaha struggles
Retiring 15-time MotoGP race winner Andrea Dovizioso admits he "really didn't expect" to encounter the struggles he has in adapting to the Yamaha MotoGP bike.
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special