Quartararo openly wears his emotions, and 2020 saw plenty of histrionics, whether it was missing a qualification lap attempt or frustration with results or Yamaha’s mechanical woes. He was brilliant, cocky, fresh but also bonkers, and the campaign ultimately wilted. The 21-year-old entered the top ten only twice in the last six races for what was a disappointing swan-dive away from the top of the championship. 

Onlookers questioned his state of mind, but it didn’t stop Yamaha from swooping and placing Quartararo into the Monster Energy factory squad in a swap-arrangement with Valentino Rossi to overhaul their principal racing line-up. If anything, Quartararo now had more pressure, even though he was initially expected to fill an understudy role to Maverick Viñales, who was entering his fifth term with the Monza-based operation. 

The racer from Nice was not seen as a sure bet for the 2021 season but he started strongly. Two wins from the first three rounds then drew multiple insects buzzing around his head: arm-pump issues, Yamaha’s rider turnover (Quartararo would have three different team-mates in 2021), leather-suit bizarreness and Ducati’s looming technical superiority. Even though he endured to scoop the championship by round 16 of 18, it was no easy glide for #20. 

“I think I lost a great chance to win the championship in 2020 but I also had many ‘new things’, like leading the championship for the first time, this was something I never had in Moto3 or Moto2,” he tells us over a call from his family’s home in France. “I had many bad moments and good moments in one season. This year I managed to take out the maximum of what I had. Everything came together.”