MotoGP: doubled in the general classification two races from the end, has Fabio Quartararo lost the title?

What Fabio Quartararo had been dreading for several weeks has finally happened: the defending champion is no longer the leader of the championship.

Fifth after qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, the Frenchman nevertheless made a good start on the Phillip Island circuit on Sunday morning, before badly negotiated braking demoted him by around fifteen positions.

The MotoGP world champion was finally forced to retire after a crash on the 11th lap and therefore leaves the Italian Francesco Bagnaia, 3rd on the finish line, to settle in the leader's chair with a lead of 14 points just two Grands Prix from the end of the season.

Worst case scenario... 😔

Fabio Quartararo crashed during the #AustralianGP which made him lose the lead in the championship with 2 GP remaining.

Pecco Bagnaia is now in the lead with a 14-point lead over the Frenchman...#MotoGPpic.twitter.com/6PupqGjzTu

— Off Track (@OffTrack_FR) October 16, 2022

Not enough to definitively seal the outcome of the championship, according to former speed driver Sébastien Charpentier.

"Given the performance and the level in this championship, both on the manufacturers' side and on the riders' side, we know that the last two Grands Prix can hold big and beautiful surprises, believes the former MotoGP consultant for Eurosport.

In Malaysia, it can rain and it's very hot, it can be a very complex race.

Even if we are under the sun of the Costa Blanca, the final in Valencia can be hell in terms of weather and a driver can fall and lose points.

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A technical advantage for Ducati?

To explain Fabio Quartararo's loss of ground to his Italian rival, the technical difference between their respective machines is regularly mentioned.

Sébastien Charpentier has little taste for this argument, although he recognizes the quality of Ducati motorcycles: "When you win the races he won, like in Portimão, with a 10-second lead, I find it hard to think that Fabio have a bad machine.

This morning, he was riding in the lap times of the bikes in front.

The Yamaha suits him well and the manufacturer is trying to improve his equipment.

When you have such talent, you play in front.

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On the other hand, the former motorcycle rider insists on the collective strength enjoyed by Francesco Bagnaia with the Italian team, unlike the French rider who has few reinforcements at the outposts.

"I think there will be a real meeting because Ducati has been waiting for this title for so long," says Sébastien Charpentier.

When you have such an armada against you, it's complicated.

It's mental wear and tear, we have 20 Grands Prix in the year now.

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Read alsoMotoGP: “Totally stupid …” Fabio Quartararo protests against the introduction of sprint races in 2023

It's all in the head, according to the man who is now an instructor at the Honda First On Track driving school in Apt (Vaucluse), a few kilometers east of Avignon.

“It was perhaps heavy to be at the head of the championship for six months, which is moreover at the height of his 23 years, he recalls.

A second title is always more complicated to get.

Now we will see how Bagnaia will manage the pressure, he who has only been crowned in Moto 2. "

"It's a bit like in the movie Rocky"

The Charentais by birth risks a metaphor with the famous saga of Sylvester Stallone: ​​"For Fabio, it's a bit like in the movie

, we take uppercuts in the face and at some point we have to pull ourselves together otherwise we pass sideways and we lose the fight.

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🗨️ Fabio Quartararo: "I haven't been able to enjoy racing for a while now [...] I just want to enjoy like at the start of the season"

The reaction of the Frenchman who loses his place as leader today 👇#AustralianGP |

#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/QQkFTuAZ3z

— CANAL+ MotoGP™ (@CanalplusMotoGP) October 16, 2022

Despite the comfortable lead which the new Italian leader now enjoys, Sébastien Charpentier gauges the almost equal balance of power between the two drivers.

For his part, Fabio Quartararo intends to approach the last Grands Prix with a lighter spirit but without losing sight of the final objective, as he indicated shortly after his retirement in Australia: "It's not over, it's two races left (…) I still believe in it, but above all I will try to have fun now.

I haven't been able to enjoy racing for a while.

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