Quartararo gives the keys to the title: from being 28th in Moto2 to winning at Mugello and the psychologist

With two races remaining in the 2021 season, Fabio Quartararo has already been proclaimed MotoGP world champion. The Yamaha rider has been the one with the most victories (5) and podium finishes (10), as well as being the only one to have scored points in all the races to date.

However, the Frenchman has not only made perfect races. Compartment syndrome in Jerez, the zipper that opened in the middle of the Barcelona race, some tire problems or qualifying 15th before the decisive day were the elements that could have destabilized him. Despite this, he managed to be the only one capable of always finishing and limiting the damage.

When asked on Sunday what he thought was the key to winning the title, Quartararo was clear: “I think it’s the consistency we’ve had this year. I knock on wood, but I’ve always finished all the races scoring points. Even in Jerez I got three points despite my arm problem. The consistency in 2021 was the same as 2019, but I was [also] quicker, so I think that was the key to winning the championship this year.”

El Diablo was the only one that took advantage of the progression of the M1 . Fifth in the first race, he won the second Grand Prix at Losail and repeated in Portugal. 13th at Jerez, he was on the podium at Le Mans after undergoing surgery in a rainy race, his worst enemy.

When the championship came to Mugello , he had just moved to the top of the standings. At the home of Ducati and Pecco Bagnaia, where they had the potential to win, the Italian finished the race prematurely and the Frenchman seized the opportunity to win again, despite the fact that Yamaha looked like they were not going to perform on a track where the power was the key factor. According to Fabio, that moment was decisive.

“For me, the key moment was Mugello, when we won. Bagnaia was very strong, but he made a mistake on the second lap, and I was fighting with Johann [Zarco]. I think that was the key moment, when I got a lot of confidence back.” , said.

a calmer attitude

The other deciding factor came from himself, as he worked on his behavior and mental stability, which he knew was essential to progress. With the help of a psychologist and hypnosis techniques, the young Quartararo has managed to erase the bad memories of a difficult 2020 season from a mental point of view.

“I think it was a natural thing,” he said. “This year I never got angry. Last year I remember that in Valencia the bike was not working at all and I went into the pits telling my chief mechanic [ Diego Gubellini ]: ‘I can’t brake! I can’t turn! I can’t accelerate!’ And he was like, ‘Okay, you’re mad, but you have to tell me what’s wrong, because you can’t improve braking, turning and cornering at the same time.’ I thought he was right and I had to think. describe the problem you have.

“This year I remember very well that Maverick [Viñales] was half a second faster in FP2 at Assen, but I stayed very calm and in the end we won the race. When you see that staying calm brings these kinds of results, you want to continue like this : Even when you’re having a hard time, you have to stay calm and then you’ll make progress. So I think keeping calm has made me grow a lot. This year, of course, there were times when I was super angry. [Saturday ], when I finished 15th I could have screamed, but I didn’t. I didn’t take enough risks to get through to Q2, so I was 15th, but today we are world champions, so that’s fine.”

Bottomed out in 2018

However, Quartararo’s path to this point has not been easy. Designated as the new Márquez when he arrived at the World Championship in 2015, he did not meet expectations in his two seasons in Moto3. Sito Pons bet on him in Moto2, but after a poor campaign he ended up in Speed Up . In the second race he qualified 28th, but that helped him to gain momentum.

“The hardest moments for me were in 2016 and 2017. And a moment that helped me wake up was Argentina, when I qualified 28th. I was in front of the safety car. It was a turning point for me and the moment where I I said that either I’d get my act together or I’d go home. My riding style wasn’t working in Moto2, I talked to the team, I told them I was going to change and that I’d need time. I won in Barcelona , I made the podium in Assen and that allowed me to moving up to MotoGP. It was the lowest moment, but it allowed me to gain momentum and until now. I have to thank Speed Up, who at that time did not put pressure on me to get a result yes or yes and the opportunity came to get into MotoGP”, he clinched.

(Click on this link or scroll through the photos to see Fabio Quartararo’s celebration)

Le Champion du monde Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing