Quartararo: In MotoGP you need speed and consistency, this year we have both
Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales head to one of Yamaha's happy hunting grounds - Assen, in very different form.
Quartararo took an important third place at Sachsenring in what he called ‘a bad weekend’, however, things were much, much worse for Vinales who finished a MotoGP race last for the first time in his career.
Quartararo has arguably been the most consistent rider of the season to date, something he believes is key in modern MotoGP.
"In MotoGP you need speed and consistency, and this year we have both. Finishing third at the Sachsenring was good, considering we were struggling a bit that weekend," added Quartararo.
"Being on the podium after a ’bad weekend‘ makes us feel even more positive about the future.
"This weekend we‘re riding at TT Circuit Assen, which is one of my favourite circuits, and it suits the Yamaha well. I wish it was Friday already!"
The 2020 Dutch GP was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which means Vinales heads there as the last rider to win.
The 2019 race was shaping up to be a classic as Vinales, Quartararo and Marc Marquez battled at the front, until Quartararo struggled physically after issues from arm pump surgery resurfaced.
Quartararo still managed to claim third, while Vinales bolted clear to win comfortably from Marquez.
Vinales will be hoping for a similar outcome given the recent struggles of Germany, as he remains without a podium since the opening round of the season in Qatar where he took victory.
Speaking about getting back on track as quickly as possible, the Spaniard said: "Assen is a circuit that I really like, so I‘m looking forward to riding there. I really want to get back on the M1 as soon as possible, so we can start working on the bike again.
"After a disappointing weekend we always want to keep working and find a way to improve.
"We clearly have a lot of work ahead of us, but that‘s okay. I won the Dutch GP in 2019, before the pandemic, so at least we know that a similar set-up to the one we used then should be a good starting point."
