Fabulous Fabio Quartararo is World Champion in Misano with Marc Marquez Winning & Pol Espargaro Second in Dramatic Grand Prix!
Author: Myanna Wedes
The 2021 MotoGP World Champion has been crowned with Fabio Quartararo from the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team securing the title after Pecco Bagnaia managed to crash out with fellow Ducati rider Jack Miller also tumbling through the gravel. It was a dramatic race and Marc Marquez secured back-to-back victories showcasing confidence plus a stronger shoulder which is nice to see considering his turbulent re-entry into the sport since the major accident that almost cost him his career. The race was excellent from start to finish with dramatic crashes, high quality racing and a surprise tyre choice by Ducati riders Bagnaia and Miller last minute which certainly was not an ideal decision when you look back on the race. With minutes to go before the warmup lap, both riders opted for the front hard tyre and after several laps riding defensively for his teammate, Miller crashed out. With only a handful of laps to go and immense pressure from Marquez, Bagnaia crashed out almost like a mirror image to the Australian rider and the title bid was over within seconds. It was a shame to see the two riders end up in the gravel, though this sport is demanding and at times does not forgive.
In terms of the World Champion, Quartararo rode on the limit all year, dedicated himself to the job and never stopped believing in himself, something that he lacked previously when attempting to become a title holder with his former Yamaha Petronas team. To become the number one in the sport, you have to be consistent and this is the key element that the French rider displayed from the very first race event, in qualifying, during practice sessions and on track racing that was a pleasure to watch. This is the year of #ELD1ABLO.
Fabio Quartararo:
“I still can't believe it! I can't even talk... It feels amazing. Maybe later I can talk a bit more. Right now, I'm living the dream! It feels good to also have my family with me, and we will enjoy this a lot tonight and until the end of the season. "Of course this was not the way I wanted Pecco's weekend to end, but I'm happy he's okay. Now we are the World Champion. I have no words and I have no more liquid left in my body to cry. It feels so good, but I can't even describe what I'm feeling right now. To be on the podium with a big part of my family and my family from the circuit - I have no words. "MotoGP has been going on for quite a long time. To be the first Frenchman to win it is amazing. I'm also happy for Yamaha. Since 2015 they didn't win a title, and today we won it again. It's an amazing feeling!”
The display and courage by Marquez at Misano this weekend was truly incredible. With about 70-80% fitness under his belt, the Spanish rider pushed his shoulder this weekend with the right-hand corners whilst being the pressure point that Bagnaia did not need in order to stay within reach of the title. As the weather changed and it slightly disadvantaged the Ducati rider, Marquez pounced with confidence. Analysing the data, Marquez was in the middle of the pack only weeks ago and now to be a back-to-back winner in 2021 is a superhuman effort. The respect Marquez also has for his competitors is wonderful to see as he congratulated Quartararo on such a dynamic season and is ready to fight for 2022 with the Honda machine being further developed in order to combat the issues that have arisen this year and in addition, Pol Espargaro finally coming to life with his machine. It is the first time since Dani Pedrosa, that Honda have some light at the end of the tunnel with both of their riders. At present, Marquez is on 142 points, Jack Miller 149, Johann Zarco 152, and Joan Mir 175. There is every chance with two races to go that Marquez could catch third place which showcases the value of finishing at the front of the pack.
Marc Marquez:
“This is a much more important victory than Austin. My target was to be on the podium here or in Portimao, on a ‘right’ circuit to finish the season. And we won. We won here in Misano where usually we are not strong and today we had a race pace that was super-fast. When Pecco started to push, honestly speaking I said ‘ok’ and I relaxed a bit but he crashed. Fortunately, he’s ok and we were able to take profit because he had the edge. We keep improving and this is the best way to finish the 2021 season as we prepare for 2022. When you look at the gap compared to the first race here, we’ve made a step. I also want to say a big congratulations to Fabio for his title, he has been incredible this year and he really deserves it. Today is his day but I look forward to fighting with him again next year.”
Pol Espargaro:
“An incredible race and result, beyond just myself I am so happy and pleased for the team. They’ve worked so hard this year, and especially the Japanese staff in our team have lived a hard year away from home, so this result is for them. It’s a team result and shows the work and progress that we have made and are making. I was quite tense during the race, to make sure we could achieve this result for the team but on the final laps – everything happened, Pecco crashed, Miguel crashed, I had a track limits warning on the bike. Today is a day to enjoy as a team, as a group. It’s been a rollercoaster this year but this result shows what we can do with more knowledge of the bike and I was feeling strong after the test. Congratulations also to Quartararo on his World Championship, he has been the reference all year and put together a great season.”
As another year and Championship concludes, Ducati have yet another runner up position. They are the team who wear their emotions on their sleeves and expect more than 110% from their riders. Watching Bagnaia crash out was difficult because he truly believed he could have pushed Quartararo to the last race. The disappointment was felt across the globe, though the Italian rider should be very proud of what he has achieved with the red beast considering his start with Ducati in his debut season of MotoGP was tormenting. Both Miller and Bagnaia will look back on this season and find where they need to improve, the desire to win even more red hot as Quartararo becomes an icon for France in two-wheel racing. There is everything to play for in 2022 with more competition guaranteed.
Pecco Bagnaia:
“An incredible race and result, beyond just myself I am so happy and pleased for the team. They’ve worked so hard this year, and especially the Japanese staff in our team have lived a hard year away from home, so this result is for them. It’s a team result and shows the work and progress that we have made and are making. I was quite tense during the race, to make sure we could achieve this result for the team but on the final laps – everything happened, Pecco crashed, Miguel crashed, I had a track limits warning on the bike. Today is a day to enjoy as a team, as a group. It’s been a rollercoaster this year but this result shows what we can do with more knowledge of the bike and I was feeling strong after the test. Congratulations also to Quartararo on his World Championship, he has been the reference all year and put together a great season.”
Jack Miller:
"We decided to use a hard front tyre for the race, but it probably didn't turn out to be the best choice. Around 1 pm, the sky clouded over, and the temperatures dropped a lot lower than we expected. At Turn 8, I was quite close to Pecco; I braked hard, and maybe this could have affected the temperature of the front tyre. When I got to turn 15, I lost the front, and there was nothing I could do to avoid the crash. I am very disappointed, both for the team and me, but we gave our best all weekend. Now let's move on. I am looking forward to finishing this season on a high."
The Italian fans have said goodbye to their hero and the “GOAT”. Valentino Rossi has closed the curtains at home with his last ever Italian MotoGP race as a professional motorcycle rider and World Champion. Watching the sea of yellow is a reminder of his presence in the sport, the history books, wins, losses, crashes, spills, and thrills of the “The Doctor”. It was sad to watch him finish up considering the power of his brand in the sport and how he has paved the way for so many riders to accomplish their dreams. We will still have the iconic Rossi smile in the paddock with his team although not on board a MotoGP bike which will be hard to accept for some time. The new talent of riders he is working with are sure to push the limits, defy the odds and throw all of their energy to succeed. In particular, all eyes will be on the growth of Bagnaia, Franky Morbidelli, Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini.
Valentino Rossi:
“I’m happy about today because I was able to have a decent race, despite starting from the back of the grid. I had a good pace, plus I felt good with the bike and the tyres. I was able to push, enjoy some fights for position and finish in the top-ten. This is the best way to say “ciao” to the crowd because there has been a great atmosphere today with the track full of fans. I was also able to enjoy some nice moments after the flag. Usually I don’t like surprises, but to see ‘Grazie Vale’ around the circuit and all the celebrations organised after the chequered flag was very emotional for me. Fabio [Quartararo] really deserves the title because he has always been very strong and made no mistakes. I send my congratulations to him.”
Andrea Dovizioso:
“It has been a very difficult weekend because we struggled a lot in the wet and I was not that fast yesterday. I expected a bit more today, not with our position but with our pace, however it didn’t feel good from the start of the race. I didn’t really improve this weekend, however we tackled some bad conditions and this can help us make changes to the bike. Overall though, I’m not too happy with the weekend, but I expect to improve the feeling in Portimao. Fabio [Quartararo] has done something crazy this year and is riding in a special way, so big congratulations to him because he has been so consistent this year and I’m really happy for him.”
With only two races left, we are excited to see the gloves off and riders enjoy without the added pressure of the World Championship. Winning one of these events will be the energy needed to finish off the season strong and enter the winter season with enjoyment as opposed to frustration. Let the party celebrations begin
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