Quartararo Aiming For Historic Victory Hat-trick This Week

JAKARTA - Fabio Quartararo wants to make history. He is eyeing his third win at the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic this weekend.

If the French rider manages to score a winning hat-trick, it will be the first for a Yamaha rider since 1980.

No Yamaha racer has yet won three consecutive races at the start of the season since Kenny Roberts won three races at Misano, Jarama and Paul Ricard when he won the 500cc class in the 1980 season.

Quartararo, who has wiped out two wins in the opener at Jerez, will try his luck at Brno, even if the circuit has not been a friendly one to the Yamaha YZR-M1 in recent years, although Jerez is too.

"Brno is a track I really like. We know from last year if we can be fast there and if we have the performance, even if it is not the best place for our bike," said Quartararo as quoted by Antara, Friday, August 7.

"There are lots of great corners that are part of the circuit but the last corner is the best. You have to enter at a high cornering speed but also have to be prepared to take the perfect path for the straight.

"It's good to go there after two wins and we are looking forward to the fight for the podium this weekend. Our expectations are high and I can't wait," said the Petronas Yamaha SRT team rider.

Quartararo will face threats from Ducati whose motorbike is seen as more suitable for Brno's characteristics.

Ducati team racer Andrea Dovizioso and Pramac Racing duo; Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia, all of whom were podium challengers at Jerez. If everything goes smoothly without problems, the factory machine from Bologna could make it difficult for Quartararo.

Defending champion Marc Marquez will miss his third grand prix of the season as he is still recovering from a humerus injury he picked up after falling in the opening series.