Last year Fabio Quartararo secured the title at Misano, two rounds ahead of time, facilitated also by a crash for race leader Francesco Bagnaia. Today the championship head-to-head is again between these two riders, and, after seventeen races, the Frenchman has an advantage of just two points over the Italian. How did this come about?

An (almost) exceptional first half

Because if we look at the first half of the championship, Fabio appeared to already have one hand on the trophy. Despite not having the best bike on the grid (that honour currently lies with Ducati). Even at challenging tracks and in difficult situations, like Indonesia for example, the Yamaha rider was always able to bring home the maximum result. He won three races (Portimao, Barcelona, Germany) and didn't let anything go to waste. The only mistake he made in the first eleven races was at Assen, where he miscalculated a move on Aleix Espargaró in the opening stages of the race. That was his first ‘zero’ of the season, but it actually marked the start of what was to become a difficult period. 

Next stop: Australia

During the second part of the season, he has not won a race and, in six rounds, has only reached the podium in Austria. That was perhaps a standout moment because, for the most part, he has struggled to maintain contact with the frontrunners. Then, at Aragon he suffered a typical racing incident that caused him to lose precious points. And so, race by race, his lead over Bagnaia has gradually diminished from 91 points to… 2! He therefore plans to be very much on the attack at Phillip Island, in Australia, a track that has been kind to Yamaha in the past, although this kind of distinction matters little today.