Fabio Quartararo is going through a very complicated moment in MotoGP and the truth is that the Portuguese GP, to be held at the Algarve International Circuit, has served as a “base” to assess the level of Yamaha in MotoGP.
By analyzing the Frenchman’s history at the Portuguese circuit, which returned to the calendar in 2020 – the year in which #20 was in his second year in the category – it is quickly possible to see that the rider did not have an easy time, finishing as the 14th classified, in a race dominated by Miguel Oliveira.
The following year the story was different: Quartararo won and then achieved his second victory of the year, with the Portuguese GP being the third round of the championship, and from there on more successes followed that culminated with the Yamaha rider winning the world title.
In 2022, Portimão once again hosted the MotoGP with Quartararo winning the race in Portugal. This was the fifth round of the championship and the first one that ended with the Frenchman as the winner, in a particularly difficult year for #20, as he had led the championship by over 90 points over Pecco Bagnaia, who ended up as the world champion. Quartararo finished second and from that year on, the difficulties became more pronounced.
Last year, with the introduction of Sprints, Quartararo finished 10th and the next day in the long race, he finished 8th.
And in 2024, what can we expect? If last year was the first year in which Yamaha was actually less competitive and significantly behind especially the European manufacturers, this will be a year in which the expectation is that the chances of a less competitive result are high. But what can a two-time winner in Portugal in MotoGP do this year?
The question remains, but for Quartararo it will be an opportunity to climb in the standings, as he himself admitted in the preview to the race in Portimão.
