MotoGP: Quartararo 'closing the gap'

In t😼erms of timesheet position, Fabio Quartararo made the most progress of the 2019 MotoGP rookies during their opening tests at Valencia and Jerez.

The new Petronas Yamaha Sepa🌸ng rider rose from 17th (+1.334s) at Valencia to 12th overall at Jerez (+0.816s), finding time in both acceleration and corner entry.

"I think I 🎶need to🦄 enter the corner faster, but keep the same corner speed," Quartararo had said after his Valencia M1 debut.

Quartararo 'closing the gap'

In terms of timesheet position, Fabio Quartararo made the most progress of𝔉 the 2019 MotoGP rookies during their opening tests at Valencia and Jerez.

The new Petronas Y🦹amaha Sepang r𓃲ider rose from 17th (+1.334s) at Valencia to 12th overall at Jerez (+0.816s), finding time in both acceleration and corner entry.

"I think I need to enter the corner faster, but keep the same corner speed," Quartararo had said after hisꩲ Valencia M1 debut.

"I need to put more pressure on the brakes on the edge of ౠthe tyre and also try no🎐t to wheelie on the straights, so we'll try in Jerez to be better in these aspects."

Adjustment o꧂f the M1's electronics at Jerez would prove key to ꦦthe young Frenchman improving in both those areas.

“We have taken a step forward and managed to try some thi😼ngs with the electronics, which up until now we had hardly touched," said Quartararo, propelled to MotoGP by his first Moto2 victory at Assen, then a follow-up podium nex𝓰t time in Catalunya.

"The biggest gain has been on th𝔉e first contact with the throttle, in acceleration and also in corner entry.

"I 🔥could feel that the lap times were coming down and I felt fast, it was a really nice feeling. We knew that the more laps we could do with the Yamaha, the more we w🍌ere going to improve.

"My objective was a 1m 38s lap and we did three of them. We are working on our pace♌, little by little, and gradually closing the gap to the fastest guys.

"I am really happy with how these few days have g🐭one in Jerez and this first phase of the 2019 pre-season, so my thanks to all the team for the work they have done. Now I’m just looking forward to February!”

Quartararo - who also revealed that the MotoGP braking points are "mor♉e-or-less the same as Moto2, but you arrive more than 50km/h faster!" - was three places and 0.428s behind top rookie Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati).

New Suzuki rider Joan Mir was 15th 🧔(+0.986s) and Tech3 KTM's Miguel Oliveira 24th (+2.632s).

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