I was feeling great on the bike: Quartararo

The French Yamaha MotoGP rider clinched victory in the British MotoGP

Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo was in fine form as he clinched victory in the British MotoGP on Sunday.

“This win felt great. In Austria, I was thinking of the championship when we were switching bikes, but here I thought of nothing. I was feeling great on the bike, and I enjoyed fighting for the victory. It was perfect. I enjoy racing like that, living in the moment. I felt great at the start and stayed calm,” the Frenchman said.

“I only made a few mistakes, and I felt like I was really good on the braking. It was better than expected, and because of that I had kind of a change in strategy during the race. When I had a three second lead I said, ’Okay, now it‘s time to go slowly and not make any mistakes‘, and then on the last lap I was just enjoying the track, still riding slowly. I‘m so happy about this result. It‘s a really special win,” he added.

Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins finished second with Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro coming in third.

In the championship, Quartararo leads with 206 points, while Mir is second on 141. Ducati’s Johann Zarco is third with 137 points, while Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia’s on 136 points.

Rins said: "I’m super, super, super happy because we’ve put in a lot of effort and work to get back on the podium. It hasn’t been easy because even when I’ve had the pace, I’ve had crashes and problems. I was aiming for a Top 5 finish, but in the end, I felt really good and comfortable with the bike so I was able to push. I was fast but without taking risks or having to make aggressive moves. It’s a great feeling to be back on the podium and celebrate with all my team.”

Espargaro said: “We’ve come so close. We have almost had it several times and finally we did it! A deserved podium that we’ve worked hard for and I dedicate, first and foremost, to Aprilia. The team has always worked to the utmost during these years. We have overcome difficult times together and now we are reaping the fruits of our labour. On the podium, I thought about Fausto, my family, and all the people who have been close to me. Our growth over the last two years has been extraordinary. We have improved in every aspect, but we needed a podium to lend credence to what we’ve done. I knew we had a chance. We built our performance throughout all the sessions and I felt good in warm up in the morning too.”