Fabio Quartararo looks back on the most emotional moment of his MotoGP career – why he names an event that even predates his 2021 title win
Fabio Quartararo looks back on a very special moment in his career. A moment that was even more special to him than his 2021 world championship title. The Frenchman reveals that his first MotoGP pole position at the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix is his most unforgettable experience to date.
At the time, Quartararo was about to turn 20 and was racing for the Petronas-Yamaha satellite team (now Trackhouse-Aprilia) on an M1. Nevertheless, he had already shown what he was capable of with six pole positions and seven podium finishes.
In the end, he finished fifth in the overall standings, two places ahead of Valentino Rossi, who rode for the Yamaha factory team. In 2021, Quartararo took Rossi’s place and won the title at his first attempt after prevailing in a close duel with Francesco Bagnaia.
Quartararo: “That was the year I enjoyed the most”
But as significant as this victory was, when asked about his best memory on the current generation of the M1, the 26-year-old cites another event.
“I would say my pole position at Jerez in 2019. I think I enjoyed that even more than my world championship year. It was the year when there was absolutely no pressure, and it’s the year I enjoyed the most.”
Quartararo emphasizes that his rookie season was particularly carefree. You never knew what to expect, and every success felt like a win. “In your first year, you never know what to expect in the first race or the next, and that was the positive thing about it,” he explains.
“You just went there to do your best. If your best was second place, that was incredible. Fifth place was great. Tenth place meant you could learn something. If you crashed, it was just an experience.”
How winning the world championship changed things for Quartararo
His 2021 title-winning season ultimately made Quartararo one of the top riders in MotoGP and Yamaha’s next big star after Rossi’s retirement. However, he didn’t feel any additional pressure from winning the world championship. “You don’t really feel any more pressure,” says the Frenchman, looking back.
And yet something has changed: “In the 2021 season, you finish fourth and you’re disappointed. You don’t like finishing fourth. That’s a bad result.”
