Fabio Qua♎rtararo expects the Austrian🔜 MotoGP to be both his and Petronas Yamaha’s toughest race of the season despite bolting to second place in qualifying.

The🧸 MotoGP rookie continued his im🌠pressive maiden campaign in the premier class by taking his sixth front row in 11 races, which includes three pole positions at Jerez, Montmelo and Assen, as he acted as closest challenger to the dominant Marc Marquez.

But the French rider is bracing for a tougher task over a race distance at the Red Bull Ring, a track which traditionally doesn’t play to the Yamaha package’s strengths, and played down expect🃏ations or matching his qualifying result tomorrow.

“For me in the race I normally always try to put my goal in terms of positions but I think this race will be the toughest one of the season,” Quartararo sai🅠d. “It is a track that for Yam🀅aha it doesn’t suit us very well but it is a race that we need to learn from the other riders and take experience.

“Like Marc said I think it is a t♔rack where we need to manage the tyres, ಞthe fuel at the beginning of the race. We will give 100% and enjoy the race.

“It is a big surprise⭕ to be here to be in the front row. We worked a lot this weekend to find a good pace with both tyres, with the soft and medium, but the goal was to be on the second or third row and when I reached second I was really impressed.

“I think this is the most special front row and seco😼nd position inꦦ qualifying that we’ve had this year.”

Quartar𒈔aro continues to lead the MotoGP rookies’ standings in ninth place in the overall riders’ championship, with the highlight of consecutive podiums at Montmelo aಞnd Assen.