Quartararo: 'Championship a level playing field now but I don’t feel worried'
Ducati and Bagnaia have had a clear advantage over Quartararo and Yamaha in recent races, so much so that a 91 point deficit prior to Assen has been closed to just two in the MotoGP standings.
Of course, two DNF’s in that time have impacted Quartararo in a big way, although Bagnaia suffered his own non score when he crashed out of the Japanese MotoGP.
Quartararo endured one of his worst races in MotoGP last time out after losing 15 positions on the opening lap in Buriram, before going on to score no points.
Still, the French rider remains the series leader and has the experience of both losing and winning a title heading into the final few rounds, something Bagnaia does not.
Quartararo is likely to find himself surrounded by multiple Ducatis once again this weekend, but the Yamaha rider is remaining calm about his chances.
"The result in Thailand was very disappointing," added Quartararo. "After Thailand I could focus on getting ready for this final part of the season. I‘ve spent the week training and preparing because the next two races are back to back, and they are going to be really important, but I don‘t feel worried.
"The championship is a level playing field now, so it‘s a matter of doing our best, working well together as a team, and scoring as many points as possible."
Could Marc Marquez have something to say in the fight for MotoGP victory at Phillip Island?
After three impressive races on his return from right shoulder surgery, Marquez could be a contender for victory in Phillip Island, which could also play into Quartararo’s favour.
If Marquez, who is fully recovered after a week off - not to mention he’s a three-time winner at the Australian circuit, can take points away from Quartararo’s title rivals then it could be a big benefit to the series leader’s title aspirations.
Based on his performances in Motegi and Buriram especially, Marquez should be a challenger this weekend at a circuit that’s historically been known for having closer races than most venues.
The RC213V Honda is clearly not a package that has seemed up for the challenge of winning a race this season, but Marquez has already shown some of his magic since making his return, including pole position in Japan.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Marquez added: "Phillip Island is a great circuit to ride, it is very different to almost any other track on the calendar. I’ve had a lot of memorable races there and it’s almost always a nice battle, especially in the first laps.
"You have to be very careful there with the weather, especially this year it looks like it can be very cold and with a lot of wind – it’s something we have to pay attention to.
"Again, we have to see what’s possible this weekend, I have kept training and I feel my condition getting better each day. After three races in a row, the week off was really welcome for me."
