Last Sunday, in Misano, El Diablo conquered his first MotoGP world champion crown, thanks to the fall that Bagnaia suffered with five laps to go, and when he was commanding a race that he had dominated since the traffic lights went out . The distance over Marc Márquez, the only one who could follow him, grew to seven tenths, and the Catalan later admitted that, at that moment, he considered it impossible to battle with the Italian until the end.
However, a Bagnaia crash at turn 15 of the Marco Simoncelli circuit, the same point where Jack Miller had crashed 20 laps earlier, automatically gave Quartararo the title.
At this point, one of the debates that opens is the one that revolves around whether the Yamaha is, indeed, the most efficient prototype of all. On paper it should be, given that any of the other manufacturers wanted to take the place of Iwata’s and, furthermore, because it is the bike that has accumulated the most victories (six) in the 16 races held to date. However, the fact that five of them have been won by the same rider (Quartararo) contrasts sharply with the three riders (Bagnaia, Jack Miller and Jorge Martín) who have been able to win with a Desmosedici.
The total podium count is even more heterogeneous in the case of the Borgo Panigale firm, although in this parameter it must be taken into account that Ducati brings six motorcycles to the grid, for the four of Yamaha, Honda and KTM, and the two of Suzuki and Aprilia.
In any case, of the 48 podium places that have been put at stake, 19 have been awarded to the Bolognese manufacturer, with five different individuals, Bagnaia being the one with the most (seven), ahead of Johann Zarco (four), by Martín and Miller (three each), and also by Enea Bastianini (two). The only one who has not been able to get on the box despite driving a Demosedici is Luca Marini, who, however, slipped into the front row of the grid at the last round, in Misano, where he started third.
Yamaha has 13 podiums in its locker, and once again in this aspect there is a clear concentration on Quartararo, protagonist of ten of them, leaving only three for Maverick Viñales (two), who is already on Aprilia’s payroll, to distribute them , and Franco Morbidelli.
The rest of the brands are quite far from these two, since Honda , despite having achieved three wins (Marc Márquez) and five podiums, is the first to recognize that its RC213V must improve a lot to be able to compete for the title with the Yamaha and the Ducati. The brand with the golden wing and the brand with the red motorcycles have been at odds for years because those responsible for the former do not feel good about the fact that those responsible for the latter give more weight to the role of Márquez than to that of his mount, in the six World Championships won by the one in Cervera between 2013 and 2019. “Ducati has a bike that everyone says is fantastic, but the last World Cup was won by Stoner a long time ago. Last year a Suzuki won and this year a Yamaha”, highlights Alberto Puig , HRC team manager, in a statement to Motorsport.com.
Something similar to that of Honda happens to KTM (two races won and four podiums) and Suzuki (six podiums). The Austrian firm (two wins and four podiums) comes and goes depending on the track, but fails to find the stability it seemed to have achieved in 2020. And Suzuki is still lying on the couch, interviewing applicants for the team manager position it left vacant Davide Brivio, but without deciding on anyone. Meanwhile, Joan Mir and Alex Rins insist on asking the Hamamatsu crew to redouble their efforts to reinvigorate the GSX-RR, once it has become clear that it has fallen behind. “Ducati is several steps ahead”, comments the Barcelona native.
On the other hand, the only podium for Aprilia (Aleix Espargaró) demonstrates the long road that still lies ahead for Noale’s house.
Another indication that helps to get an idea of what can be considered the best motorcycle of this 2021 is the opinion of those who ride on top of them. The highest percentage is brought together by the Desmosedici, not in vain there are two rookies (Martín and Bastianini) who have burst like a thunderbolt in the queen class. Both compete for the rookie of the year award, and with two grand prizes to go they are separated by only five points in favor of the Beast .
“Everyone says that the Ducati is the best, the fastest and the most competitive; but the title has been won by Yamaha”, says Bagnaia himself when asked the question. The Turinese shows that he has certain doubts that prevent him from asserting that his, which is also the most modern version of the Desmosedici available, can be sold as the most perfect machine in the World Cup. He does believe that if he is not, he lacks little to be. “We have taken a tremendous step forward this year and the bike is incredible, and I think that in 2022 it could be the reference”, added the #63, who next weekend, in Portimao, will try to tie the runner-up that is played with Mir – he is 27 points behind him when there are 50 left at stake.
A similar approach is made by Quartararo when he is asked to point out the best prototype of this 2021, although, in his case, he sweeps home: “I don’t know if the Yamaha is the best bike; if we are guided by what the other pilots say; Well, no. But yes, it is the one that has won.” Champion word.
(Click on this link or scroll through the photos to see Fabio Quartararo’s celebration)
