Fabio Quartararo is one of the reference riders in MotoGP. Champion in 2021, he has been the strongest of Yamaha, despite being out of the top positions in recent years due to the constructor’s loss of competitiveness.
Motorcycle Sports had the opportunity to participate in an interview with the Frenchman on the sidelines of the Catalan GP. From his love for fashion and surfing to the future prospects in MotoGP with the 2027 regulations, it was a different conversation in which you could get to know Quartararo a little better.
The passion for fashion
Question (Q): Do you love fashion, right?
Fabio Quartararo (FQ): ‘Yes, I do’.
Q: How do you compare yourself to Lewis Hamilton?
FQ: ‘I think with seven titles you can do many more things. But it’s something I really love and it’s something I would say is also a passion for me. I like to have my own style, and people talk, but I like it’.
Q: What kind of brands do you like the most?
FQ: ‘It depends on the occasion. If you want something more classy, then… I love all kinds of brands. Zara makes unbelievable pants, Balenciaga t-shirts, whatever the brand may be. But I like the style, that’s the most important – more than the brand, it’s just what kind of pants, or t-shirt, or jacket I like’.
P: I heard you have a passion for sneakers?
FQ: ‘Not really. I have many, but I don’t truly have a passion for sneakers. The problem is hoodies, I have too many, and whenever I like one, I say: “Well, this is the last one I buy.” But in the end, I have so many and sometimes I can’t even wear them’.
The surfing hobby
P: How often do you enjoy using some of your surfboards?
FQ: ‘Especially in the summer, I like to do it. I live in Andorra, but once a year I try to get on a boat, I go with the family. The brand is not mine, I am just an ambassador. But I think it’s very good and it’s something I’m very good at and enjoy at the moment. So, I enjoy it in the summer and sometimes in the winter’.
P: In the past, you did something with Lewis Hamilton. How was that?
FQ: ‘It was really nice! We spent a day with jet skis, with surfing. We really enjoyed it and he is also very good at it, so we could have some very nice battles’.
MotoGP: the present and the future
Q: How will the new regulations affect your riding?
FQ: ‘In my opinion, I think we will go back a bit five years, when everything was much… I would say easier, without devices. The wings will be much smaller, the bike will be a bit slower. So, I believe that for overtaking and physically it will be much easier. Therefore, I think it is a good step for the regulations’.
Q: How do you stay motivated after a failure or a bad race?
FQ: ‘You know, it’s not just one bad race; it’s bad times for us – 2023, this year. But I think our motivation right now is to get back to winning and since January we have new people at Yamaha, and I think they are working really hard to recover. I believe that the motivation right now is not to focus on the short term of this weekend, “we have to fight for this position.” What I think is where we have to get to, and I believe where we have to get to is back to winning and hopefully soon’.
Q: Do you have a special object or amulet that you take with you to every race?
FQ: ‘In the past, I always wore a chain that was exactly like this one, but it broke. I always keep it in my backpack. And in Le Mans or Jerez, a fan gave me this one, so now I always have it with me. So, I would say this one, and then I don’t really have any special objects with me’.
Amulets and food
P: How do you like to spend your free time, if you have any?
FQ: ‘To be honest, free time is not much. But I hope that during the short vacation time, I like to spend time with my family, my friends, and we have a week in July – so hopefully we can have some parties’.
P: What is your favorite food after a weekend of racing?
FQ: ‘I love pizza, I love burgers, fries, ice cream. So, I like everything. I try to change it up a bit, but I think it’s also great to treat yourself – whether it’s a good or a bad race. If it’s a good race, it’s a reward, and if it’s a bad race, it’s because you had a bad race and you have the comfort of eating that’.
