Quartararo: To be MotoGP World Champion feels amazing, I’m in a dream
Fabio Quartararo is your new MotoGP World Champion after producing a sensational ride from 15th to fourth in Misano.
The Yamaha rider suffered the worst qualifying of his premier class career during yesterday’s Q1 session, only to bounce back and almost clinch a podium finish.
Quartararo was ultimately bettered by a fast charging Enea Bastianini with just three corners to go, however, podium or not, Quartararo has become the second consecutive first-time champion after Joan Mir completed that feat in 2020.
Summing up his feelings and emotions, a delighted Quartararo said: "First of all I don’t have my original voice after just a few hours. I cried a lot, screaming a lot, but it feels amazing because when I finished the race and crossed the finish line, I thought of all the tough moments I had in my career.
"To be world champion in MotoGP is something that I never expected when I was in a bad situation a few years ago.
"Right now I’m feeling in a dream and I still have not realised what is happening to me right now."
Quartararo’s path to being crowned world champion has been far from easy. The highly-acclaimed Spanish championship rider - won the title in consecutive years (2013, 2014) came into the paddock as the next big talent.
However, difficult Moto3 and Moto2 seasons from 2015-17 left the Frenchman void of confidence, something that took him a long time to regain.
But since getting the promotion to MotoGP with Yamaha in 2019, few if any have consistently been better than Quartararo, who talked us through his journey to this point during a ‘special’ post-race press conference in Misano.
Quartararo said: "When I won the two Spanish championships, of course, the first step was to win the Moto3 championship. But I didn’t even make a race victory. T
"Then I moved to Moto2 and I tried to take back confidence; the first year was not achieved, but the second year yes.
"We won two races, okay one race was taken off, but I know that I won that race. Still, I didn’t expect to move up to MotoGP.
"Moto2 world championship was not possible to get and was really far. So, the only way to be world champion was in MotoGP and we achieved it. It’s something I never expected.
"When I took the first test in Valencia in 2018, I said ‘what the hell am I doing on that bike’. I couldn’t ride because there was so much power.
"Right now I’m asking for much more, but the steps were slow but good. 2019 was good and of course it was a big dream to be world champion and we achieved it today. I don’t know what to say. I will realise a bit more tonight and tomorrow when I will have no voice at all."
