MotoGP, Quartararo: “I’d like to battle with Marquez, he’s taught me so much”

With Valentino Rossi having left the paddock, the role of most successful and charismatic MotoGP rider is taken up by Marc Marquez, with his eight world titles. And so the fact that the Spaniard is absent, ruled out until his arm recovers fully following the 2020 incident at Jerez,  weighs on the economics of a championship that is hard-fought but currently missing one of its biggest stars.

Quartararo vs Marquez

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Fabio Quartararo knows this well and is keen to battle with the grid’s most successful rider again, just as he did on various occasions in 2019.

“I’m ready to fight him now. I’d like him to come back, firstly because I get on well with him and because I don’t want any riders to have physical problems”, comments the current champion while talking to Dazn Spain, “and also because Marquez is the rider who’s taught me the most.”

The 2019 example

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The Yamaha factory rider goes on to explain how battling Marquez in 2019 allowed him to hone his riding style. “[I’m talking about] the two races I did in Thailand and Misano, 25 laps in his slipstream without any big mistakes are situations where you really learn a lot.”

“It’s incredible what I’ve learned from him and what’s stuck with me”, continues El Diablo, before considering his main rivals for the 2022 title: "Who’s the most dangerous? Before the season started, I’d have said Pecco Bagnaia, but he’s lost a lot of points recently. I think the most consistent performer is Aleix Espargaro".

Translated by Heather Watson

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