Fabio Quartararo managed, «in extremis», to take the fight for the MotoGP title until the last round of the season in Valencia. However, the accounts dictate that it will not be easy to be champion for the second year in a row.
In a less good phase of the season, in which he has not shown arguments to win races, the frenchman from Monster Energy Yamaha is forced to win at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to take the title from Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati): so dictate the 23 points disadvantage for the leader of the championship when only the victory serves to amass that amount (worth 25 points).
On the other hand, Bagnaia himself is practically free of pressure and doesn’t have to risk it. A mere 14th place is enough for the title, so only two things will keep him from being champion – matching his worst result of the season which was a 15th place or withdrawing as has happened on five other occasions this year.
And what’s more: Ducati is showing itself in a clearly superior form, having won between the main team and Gresini the victories in all the races since the Dutch GP, except in Thailand (Miguel Oliveira won in the rain for Red Bull KTM ) and Australia (the win went to Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Álex Rins).
As for Yamaha, in that same period it only won two more podiums, both with Quartararo – second in Austria and third in Malaysia. For all this, it is clear that the Frenchman needs something very extraordinary to happen in Valencia to become a two-time MotoGP champion – one could almost speak of a “small miracle”. However, until the checkered flag, the season is not over, so the final accounts can only be taken for granted after the race on the 6th of November in Valencia.