Axel May, edited by Julia Solans 10:02 am, March 24, 2023

The Moto GP World Championship starts this weekend in Portugal. With today, Friday, the practice sessions. The Grand Prix will take place at 15 p.m. on Sunday. After losing his world title acquired in 2021, the Nice Fabio Quartararo is in operation to reconquer to try to be crowned world champion for the second time in his career.

Vice-champion 2022 after giving up his title to another young driver, the Italian Pecco Bagnaia, the 24-year-old from Nice hopes to get back on the top step of the podium. Despite contrasting test sessions in the off-season, the engineers seem to have found the right settings for the engine of his Yamaha, which lacked power last year, against the armada of Ducati. The chassis and aerodynamics have also been modified.

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"I'm there for the title"

Fabio Quartararo told Canal +, the official broadcaster of the championship: "It's not just me, there's also the bike, the team, it's a whole package to be world champion. In any case, the spirit is there, and if I'm here, it's to fight for the title, not for another goal."

There is no feeling of "revenge", also explains El Diablo, as he is nicknamed. Will he succeed this year in writing his name a little more in the history of French sport? He became, two years ago, the first French rider to win a world title in Moto GP, the premier category. First elements of answer this weekend in Portugal.

A new format for this season

Note that the format of the championship changes this year with the introduction on the eve of each Grand Prix of a sprint race. A format that has already been used on some weekends since 2021 in the Formula 1 championship. Of a reduced duration, it will award points for the world ranking but will not count as a victory stamped Moto GP.