Quartararo: ‘My mindset at the start of every season is to be world champion’
Quartararo was crowned MotoGP in 2021 after looking like the favourite to win in 2020 before fading as the season went on.
Quartararo then started 2022 in fine form and looked like being a back-to-back champion, before losing a 91-point advantage to Francesco Bagnaia.
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A big reason for that was Yamaha falling down the pecking order, and despite the Japanese manufacturer struggling towards the end of 2023, the French rider has not shifted his aims heading into 2024.
Speaking to Monster Energy, Quartararo said: “Every season that I get on the bike, my goal is to be world champion.
“Maybe I will not achieve it but that is my mindset at the beginning of the season. For me the attitude of a world champion or a top athlete is to always bring a smile to the people that is working with you.”
The factory Yamaha rider also spoke about how he got into the sport, which came about after moving to Spain due to needing a higher level of competition.
Not a big name, Quartararo’s dad instead played a bigger role in his son’s development.
Quartararo said: “I got into racing because my dad used to race in the past. He was not a high level rider but basically he put me into it and straight away I loved it.
“To develop myself like a professional rider, we decided with my dad that we would go to the championship in Spain because they had the highest level of riders at this young age.
“Step-by-step I was moving up until I arrived at the world championship. Then I jumped to into Moto3, Moto2 and then the big class.”
