MotoGP world championship leader Fabio Quartararo had been planning to start thinꦚking tactically about the title after Misano.

But the Monster Yamaha rider, who starts this weekend's COTA round with a 48-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia and onl🌠y 100 points still available, hܫas now decided to continue pushing all-out for race victories.

That mentality saw him dramatically hunt downౠ race leader Bagnaia in the closing stages of the Misano race, rather than settle for a safe💮 second, albeit with a few close moments as he pushed his M1 to the limit.

"We start the race weekend in Austin with a 48-point advantage, and after this there are three more races, so my mentality stays the same as ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚit was in Misano," Quꦆartararo said.

"Originally my goal was not to think about the championship until the San Marino GP, but I have decided to k𓆉eep it going. I think that's the riཧght thing for me: to be in the moment and fight for the victory if I can.

"In Misano that nearly gave my mum a heart attack and my dad for sure enjoyed it a lot! I‘ve had this idea already at the beginning of the year that ’no matter if I‘m fiꦯghting for the championship or not, I want to win‘.

"That was the case in Misano, and I want🤡 it to stay like this."

With Austin dropping from the calendar in 202🍌0, Quartararo's only previous experience of the track on a MotoGP bike was seventh place in his rookie season with Petronas Yamaha.

"We know Fabio wants to keep taking t꧙hings one race at the time and focus on getting top results, so our goal with him will be another podium finish," said team director Massimo Meregalli.

Although Yamaha have never won on the Marc Marquez domi🌠nated track, Valentino Rossi finished a close second to Suzuki's Alex Rins in 2019, after Marquez fell from the lead.

"This circuit's lay-out is a bit tricky, and theoretically it‘s perhaps not the best suited to our bike, but in recent years𝓀 our team has scored a good number of podiuꦅms here," Meregalli added.

On the other side of the Monster garage, new team-mate Fra🍰nco Morbidelli w💫ill be taking part in his second event in factory colours and with the 2021-spec M1.

18th on his comeback🐻 from a lengthy knee surgery recovery at Misano, the Italian improved his pace but also suffered several falls during the pos🍒t-race test.

"I enjoy riding in Austin. It‘s a track that‘s tough and difficult, but I really like it," Morbidelli said. "In 2019, the last time we rode there with MotoGP, I had a good result [fiftಞh for Petronas Yama🙈ha].

"I hope to be there, improve the꧅ feeling with the bike, and improve my overall performance. We made a really good step during the Misano ♔Test. I definitely had more feeling already in the final lap on Day 2 than I did in the first few laps on Day 1. This is already positive.

"We are ಞmoving forward and are trying to improve as fast as we can."

will be hoping that Morbidelli can at leas𒈔t sc🍰ore points on Sunday, with Ducati Lenovo now just 3 behind in the teams' title.