Fabio Quartararo delighted with 'unexpected' Mugello podium

Defending MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo has said he did not expect a podium finish at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, but that he was delighted with the pace and performance he showed.

The Frenchman put in a fine performance at Mugello on Sunday to earn P2 come the chequered flag, and he wasn’t far off eventual winner Pecco Bagnaia on the Ducati.

Indeed, Quartararo revealed post-race he felt as though he had the pace to even take victory from Bagnaia, but also said that going into the race he wasn’t expecting a podium at all, and so he’ll more than take it:

“To be honest I think this is the best race of my career, of course I prefer to win but the way I fought during the race was good given we had no confidence coming into it,” said Quartararo.  

“I said before that if I could finish fifth or sixth it would be a great result, so to be P2 and only half-a-second from Pecco (Bagnaia) is great.

“I was on the limit every lap and I felt the bike was all over the place, I couldn’t have been more on the edge but I love riding my bike and I was having a lot of fun.

“I think I was faster, but it was tough to overtake and we are missing some horsepower but I am happy and I feel we have made a massive job because we finished on the podium and I didn’t expect that.”