Reigning MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo heads into the British Grand Prix with a long lap penalty looming. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider was issued the sanction after his Assen crash involving Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro but with similar, and at times more extreme, incidents receiving different or even zero attention from the FIM Stewards this season, the paddock remains both confused and critical of the intervention. “Five weeks was pretty long but I feel happy to be back, I will approach this weekend like a normal weekend, it’s how we need to do it,” Quartararo said from Silverstone ahead of the first race back after the summer break. “And then we have that penalty but let’s see how the weekend is going and of course how we approach the race.
It will be a great challenge for us and I feel ready to race.”“I don’t even start FP1 so I don’t know what to expect but of course is going to be different kind of race and a different challenge but like I said, I feel ready, I feel motivated.
I would make Friday and Saturday like normal weekend and also Sunday - normal race just different strategy because we have the long lap penalty. “Of course it’s important but it’s not the last race of the season, is not the last battle that we will have this year,” he continued. “Of course it’s going to be an important race for me but I don’t need to get crazy about ‘I need to make the long lap as fast as possible’.
I need to win, yes 100 per cent this race. I will work my best during Friday and Saturday to make the best pace as possible, best qualifying and then we will see how is our position on the race.