Fabio Quartararo stormed to another stunning win at the Sachsenring on Sunday to claim the new ‘King of the Ring’ title alongside his MotoGP leading status.

The Monster Energy Yamaha rider met the flag five seconds clear of his rivals, with fellow Frenchman Johann Zarco and Ducati’s Jack Miller joining the podium celebrations. The weekend’s standout performer, Pecco Bagnaia, having crashed out at turn one on only the fourth of 30 arduous laps of the 3.7km layout.

“Really, really special victory,” Quartararo exclaimed from the German paddock after his second dominant success in quick succession. “Was a little bit like Barcelona, you know, on Friday, it was not so great. Yesterday was much better and this morning with used tyres on the medium, I felt was the correct choice because with 27 laps I was in ’22-low.

“On the race, the conditions were totally different. From the beginning I was little bit scared because I was using a little bit more the tyre than I expect to ride fast and last five/six laps was a total disaster from the rear but feeling on the front was super good. Super happy to be there in front.”

Having lined up on the front row, second to new circuit-record holder Bagnaia, the 23-year-old is clear that’s the best strategy for race success, due to the ongoing struggles with his M1’s power disadvantage.

“We need to be in first position, always!” Quartararo stated. “Because if not, is difficult. At least in front, the most in front as possible, because to overtake the other bikes I'm struggling much more and I know that in the start basically is always a little bit more easy.

“I was with Pecco really close, then when he overtook me on the first corner I knew he was, even if he didn't go so wide, I directly go in the inside and is these moments you need to take the benefit.

“To be in the front, is something that we need to, I don't say that we need to be first all the time but if we can overtake the maximum person as possible in the first lap. I mean is the way where everyone is so tight and when a rider is in front of us with a different bike, if it's not a Yamaha, we struggle so much because we arrive in a total different way and for me to overtake is so difficult so that's why I feel that we need to be in front. Of course you need to take some risk but it is what it is.”

While the start went perfectly to plan, the Yamaha rider was careful to control his pace having opted for hard front, medium rear Michelin tyres on the blistering 52℃ track temperatures.

“Let's say the first laps when Johann was behind, I knew everybody, almost everybody was with the hard rear and when I had one second I was controlling a little bit because I didn't want to push more and I was trying to take as much care of the rear tyre because conditions were really difficult on the race,” he explained.

“When Johann was catching a little bit, I was pushing a little bit more and of course was difficult but the first 10 laps/15 laps was controlling and then I took really care of the tyre and from 15 to 25 my tyre was working super well.

“I'm feeling better than ever, every time I go racing! I’m learning and I feel like, all the time I feel I found something.

“The focus here to make 30 laps in front and to be consistent was something difficult. Barcelona helped me a lot because I had in a similar situation but of course I'm feeling confident and I feel I'm riding better than ever,” he said ominously.

In fact his confidence was such he was also able to enjoy the race from the big screens, an eye-opening revelation for his rivals.

“I saw Pecco crash on the TV when I was up in turn three to four, was a TV there and I saw that,” Quartararo said against mutterings and jokes from Zarco and Miller. “Is a corner where when I made the change direction so I saw… not every lap,” he admitted with a laugh. “I saw there was a TV but I could not watch it!” Zarco added.

“I saw a bike was on the ground,” the reigning champion continued. “I saw was him and of course it change a little bit [my race] because he was also the one, we were both really, really fast and consistent.”

With the halfway point of the MotoGP Championship now dispatched, Quartararo sits 34 points clear of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and 61 ahead of Zarco on the leading Ducati. Next weekend brings the final action ahead of a five week summer break, and Assen is a track the Frenchman knows and loves well having taken victory in 2021 and climbed the podium in his debut year in the premier class.

“Yes, I love the track,” he confirmed of the Dutch TT. “I think the conditions will be totally different from here. We hope it's sunny there because it's a track that it's always super special to ride it on the dry. It's super fast. Let's see how is the weather but of course we will enjoy in any case, in Assen.”