Quartararo seeks consistency without Maverick.

Quartararo seeks ‘consistency’, teammate Vinales exiled

SPIELBERG (Austria): Fabio Quartararo leads the overall standings ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Motogp eyeing “consistency” with less than half of the season remaining but will be without suspended Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales.

Quartararo, 22, leads fellow Frenchman Johann Zarco by 40 points after claiming a seventh podium finish in the Styrian Grand Prix at the same track last Sunday.

“More than my victories, this year, what counts are my third places in Sachsenring, Le Mans and here,” Quartararo said.

“It’s the difference between last year where I won or I was 15th. Consistency progresses and it’s like that you win a championship, I think,” he added.

On Thursday, Yamaha suspended Spanish 26-year-old Vinales after he failed to finish last Sunday’s race.

“Difficult weekend, I felt strong, I had a good rhythm. It’s a pity because the work was done,” Vinales posted on Instagram during the week.

“It’s a difficult and frustrating situation,” he added.

As Vinales struggled, fellow countryman Jorge Martin won from pole for his maiden Motogp victory but the track was heavily criticised by riders including seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi.

Rossi, who will retire at the end of the season, as well as world champion Joan Mir, third this season, said Turn 3 at the Spielberg track was dangerous.

Briton Cal Crutchlow was one of 12 to be hit with track limit warnings and had some choice words about the location of the 10th and 11th race of the campaign.

“It happens at a lot of tracks but it happens at this track because it’s a s**t track,” he said.

In Moto2, overall leader Remy Gardner is looking to keep his 35-point lead over Spaniard Raul Fernandez.

In Moto3, Pedro Acosta has a 53-point advantage and can claim a second victory in seven days this weekend.