GOAT shoes to fill
■ The pressure is on and the early indications are that he can handle it
Fabio Quartararo’s first mission in 2021 will be to ensure there’s no hangover from a woeful conclusion to last season, when almost overnight he went from MotoGP title favourite to shock flop.
The Frenchman mustered a meagre tally of 19 points in the final six races of 2020, and in that dismal period between Le Mans and Portimao he ranked only 15th in terms of points accrued. So spectacular was his downfall that he went from series leader to only eighth in the final rankings and there was an astonishing 92-point swing between him and eventual champ Joan Mir over just 11 races. Quite how Quartararo went from dominating the opening two races from pole position to scoring just one other podium in the 12 races that followed remains one of the great mysteries of an incredibly unpredictable 2020 season.
It was certainly hard to find anybody in the MotoGP paddock who could recall a capitulation quite on the same scale.
But it would be grossly unfairly to lay all the blame squarely on the Frenchman’s shoulders.
Like Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi, he was at the mercy of an inconsistent 2020 YZR-M1 that one week was unbeatable and the next seemingly unrideable. Improved turning and better rear grip feature high on Quartararo’s wish list for 2021 but technical improvements are something he can only put his faith in Yamaha to deliver. Fixing mechanical flaws is somebody else’s remit, but Quartararo has taken steps to get his own house in order and ensure his challenge this year is a more sustained one.
By his own admission, Quartararo was derailed mentally as results fell away after his eye-catching start in the Jerez double-header. Self-doubt inevitably crept in and it became increasingly difficult to hide his anger and frustration when results started deserting him. Promotion to the high-pressure environment of Yamaha’s factory squad to replace none other than Italian icon Rossi is only going to magnify the level of scrutiny on the 21-year-old star.
But Quartararo has enlisted a psychologist to help him come into 2021 with a more measured temperament and approach. And the harsh lessons learned during a rollercoaster 2020 should better equip him to handle the pressure and expectation. Fundamental to Quartararo’s title aspirations in 2020 will be an ability to tap back into the same confidence and consistency which he enjoyed during that unforgettable rookie MotoGP season of 2019. Quartararo said last year’s bike never felt like his own and at no point did he feel able to emulate the kind of performances that made him the sharpest thorn in the side of Marc Marquez during 2019.
If Yamaha come up trumps, and Quartararo can keep himself on a more even keel when curveballs get thrown his way, don’t expect him to fade out of contention again.
‘Harsh lessons should equip him to cope with pressure’