Quartararo: I am almost at 100%

Fabio Quartararo has rated his own fitness as “almost at 100%” having undergone arm pump surgery last month as he looks to carry momentum from his maiden MotoGP podium secured at the last round in Barcelona.

The Petronas Yamaha rider showed no sign of weakness following arm pump surgery which he underwent between the Italian and Catalan rounds as he stormed to a first premier class podium with second place along with his second pole position notched up 24 hours earlier.

The MotoGP rookie has had fluid drained from his arm which built up after the surgery and says he is almost fully fit having had another two weeks to recover from the initial operation heading into this weekend’s Dutch round at Assen.

“My feeling is much better than Barcelona,” Quartararo said. “We took out some fluid in the arm but I think we arrived much better than we expected in Barcelona and here I am almost at 100% so I am quite happy with my recovery from the arm pump surgery.”

Assessing his on-track performances from his first seven races in MotoGP, Quartararo feels he is learning from his experiences and has pinpointed his starts as his biggest point to improve on.

Quartararo is the second Yamaha rider who has struggled with his starts this year, with Maverick Vinales also suffering in the sprint to the first corner on the factory Yamaha.

“Our weak point has been the start because in almost every race we have lost four or five positions,” he explained. “At the start we lost only two positions and I had a touch with Marc [Marquez] at the beginning of the race in Barcelona but we were third or fourth in that moment.

“That is where I missed out the position but I think in the first lap we are not so bad. But we need to work on the starts. We are still working on that.

“We have taken a lot of experience compared to now from Qatar and I think it is going in a really good way. Here we will make the same work, try to have a good Friday and try to be in Q2 and try to bring a good result home.”

Quartararo sits seventh in the MotoGP riders’ championship and just two points off Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller in sixth place. The Frenchman is also the second-highest Yamaha rider in the standings only behind Valentino Rossi, who is in fifth place, 21 points ahead.