Alcañiz (Spain) (AFP)
Will Fabio Quartararo win his 6th victory of the season in Aragon on Sunday to get closer to the MotoGP world champion title that no French has conquered before him or will he find the local on his way? of the Marc Marquez stage?
The French Yamaha rider, who has before this 13th event of the season, raced on the MotorLand circuit, 65 points ahead of his immediate pursuer, the defending champion Joan Mir (Suzuki), prefers to shower the enthusiasm.
“Aragon is without all the worst circuit on the calendar, not for the Yamaha but for me. I was quick here sometimes, I even had pole position last year, but I was never consistent there. It would be nice to change that and I want to learn to improve myself, ”he says.
For lack of victory, a good result would allow him to get closer to the title while there are six races left before the end of the season.
Behind Mir, the other Frenchman engaged in MotoGP, Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) and the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) are respectively 69 and 70 points behind Quartararo.
Neither Zarco nor Bagnaia have yet won in the supreme category and are eager for success.
But their mighty Ducatis aren't usually comfortable on the Spanish turnstile and Borgo Panigale's brand last win there dates back to 2010.
The Suzuki of Mir and his teammate and compatriot Alex Rins are more so, as Rins' victory last year showed.
After a difficult start to the season, the world champion machines last year seem to have regained their rhythm even if they have not yet won in 2021.
Fabio Quartararo celebrates his victory in the British Motorcycle GP at the Silverstone circuit on August 29, 2021 Adrian DENNIS AFP / Archives
- Marc Marquez's time?
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Marc Marquez, the six-time world champion, born not far from the Aragon circuit, considers himself at home here and his five successes in the premier class bear witness to this.
Spanish rider Marc Marquez during testing for the British Motorcycle GP at Silverstone, August 28, 2021 Adrian DENNIS AFP / Archives
But he has struggled to regain the top since his accident which kept him away from the circuits last season.
His right arm still pains him and he holds the sad record for the most crashes in MotoGP since the start of the season.
Currently 12th in the championship, 147 points behind Quartararo, his hopes for a 7th title are zero but he must prove to himself that he remains at the highest level.
Aragon is one of the few circuits where the riders turn counterclockwise and it was at a similar circuit, the Sachsenring in Germany, that he scored his only victory of the season in June.
"Left turns put less pressure on the right arm," the Honda rider said Thursday, while confiding that the first laps of the race, when the tires are new and offer the most grip, are the most difficult because "the most physical".
- Vinales at Aprilia -
The eyes of the public, around 20,000 people will be admitted to the circuit, will also be on another Spaniard, Maverick Vinales, who will make his Aprilia debut.
After leaving Yamaha on a dark history of accusations of sabotage - and being totally dominated by Fabio Quartararo - Vinales intends to show that he can still aim for a 10th victory in MotoGP.
Maverick Vinales during a press briefing on Alcaniz's Motorland, September 9, 2021 LLUIS GENE AFP
It comes when the Aprilia, long relegated to the middle of the grid, come to the fore as evidenced by the 3rd place of his new teammate Aleix Espargaro, also Spanish, at the last British GP, the first podium in MotoGP. for the Italian brand.
Present in MotoGP since 2015 with the Gresini team, the Noale firm is preparing to become a real factory team next year and seems to have found the secrets of speed.
"The remaining six races will mainly be used to prepare for next season and our priority is to learn," he said Thursday.
In the other categories, the Australian Remy Gardner will try to increase his lead over the Spaniard Raul Fernandez in Moto2.
In Moto3, the phenomenon Pedro Acosta, already a five-time winner for his first season in the category, will try to further widen the gap in the championship after his poor performance (11th) during the last event at Silverstone.
© 2021 AFP