Second-place finishes at Misano and Austin prove the Yamaha factory rider’s maturity, the Frenchman now destined to win the 2021 MotoGP title (plot twists notwithstanding)
06.10.2021 ( Aggiornata il 06.10.2021 16:40 )
You remember the 2020 Fabio Quartararo, very strong during the first part of the season but then in a nosedive from Barcelona onwards? Well that rider is no more. The Frenchman has matured and deserves to lead the championship, which is now firmly in his hands, with all due respect to Pecco Bagnaia.
A steamroller
Fabio’s track record during 2021 is truly impressive – five wins, ten podiums, no DNF and 254 points in the standings, which mean he’s 52 points ahead of the Italian Ducati rider.
A tally that is the result of his speed, consistency and intelligence, and that would be even higher if it weren’t for the difficulties of Jerez and Montmelò.
Quartararo has done well to win big at those tracks that suit both bike and rider, while limiting the damage at circuits where his M1 was expected to struggle. Consider the two races at the Red Bull Ring, where he scored a third place finish behind Martin and Mir in the Styrian GP before fighting for the win at the Austrian GP, until the rain came and put paid to his efforts.
After suffering at Aragon, El Diablo did well to settle for second at both Misano and then Austin, well aware that to risk a DNF in chasing an impossible victory could have proved fatal in the fight for the title.
Coronation at Misano?
And this pathway reflects the Yamaha rider’s maturity, as it doesn’t take just speed to win titles, but also a calm approach and consistency. All qualities that Quartararo is proving to have as he powers the M1 to the kind of results that the other Iwata riders can only dream of right now.
On 24 October MotoGP returns to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, where the Frenchman will have a first opportunity to secure the title and celebrate two rounds ahead of time. A result that he would well deserve and that would put an end to an abstinence, with Yamaha not having won since 2015.
Quartararo thus holds the Japanese manufacturer’s present and future in his hands. With this maturity, he clearly has everything it takes to enter into a new winning cycle, with all due respect to his rivals.
Translated by Heather Watson
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