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Fabio Quartararo says he is still keen to sample a Formula 1 car after previous plans for a test with Mercedes fell through for the MotoGP star.
The Frenchman had been lined up to drive one of Mercedes’ title-winning grand prix cars in a private test at the end of 2022, a year after he secured his maiden MotoGP title with Yamaha.
At that time, Mercedes and Yamaha shared two lead sponsors in Monster Energy and Petronas, presenting an attractive commercial opportunity for both teams and their partners.
There was also precedent for such a crossover, with Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi having completed a high-profile ride swap in 2019 when they raced for Mercedes and Yamaha respectively.
However, Quartararo’s planned test with the German manufacturer never materialised, and it was seemingly put on the back burner, but the possibility of the 27-year-old testing an F1 car resurfaced last week when he made a trip to Barcelona to attend the F1 race.
Asked if an F1 test would still happen in the future, Quartararo replied: “Yeah, of course. We had a deal, but we never really did it. But I went to the simulator, I was not so bad, so it's something that I want to do in life, and we will organise something.”
Lewis Hamilton, Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1, Valentino Rossi, Mercedes-AMG F1 W08
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Lewis Hamilton, Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1, Valentino Rossi, Mercedes-AMG F1 W08
Prior to his proposed F1 outing, Quartararo visited Mercedes’ factory in Brackley to test its simulator. The 2021 champion revealed how close he got to matching Valtteri Bottas’ time in the virtual world.
“I made 60 laps in Silverstone, in the simulator, and I was 2.2 seconds from Bottas. So, it was not so bad,” he said.
Quartararo also reflected on his visit to Barcelona and said F1’s more restricted paddock environment gave the weekend a different feel compared to MotoGP.
Asked about the differences between the two championships, he said: “There's a lot. Of course, Formula 1’s budget is not the same as MotoGP, but it's much more exclusive. You also see that Formula 2 and Formula 3 [paddocks] are outside.
“[There are] much, much less people. So, I was talking with Lando [Norris] in the middle of the paddock, so it was pretty nice.”
Asked which of the experiences he enjoyed the most, Quartararo said: “As a rider, for more there [in F1] because you are more chill and you are not in a rush with the scooter.
“So, it's nice but I think that it's two different worlds and I'm also enjoying here [in MotoGP].”
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