JAKARTA - Fabio Quartararo became the first French rider to win a MotoGP world championship after he finished fourth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday when closest rival Francesco Bagnaia crashed.
Polesitter Bagnaia led the race at home to Ducati from the start but with five laps to go he crashed, handing victory to Marc Marquez and the world title to Quartararo, who has lost his points with two races remaining.
"I can't believe this," said Quartararo in tears after the competition.
#ELD1ABLO @FabioQ20 IS YOUR 2021 #MotoGP WORLD CHAMPION! pic.twitter.com/NcH0kHpEiE
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 24, 2021
"Now I'm making my dream come true. It feels great to have my family here and we will enjoy tonight until the end of the season."
Quartararo's win ended nearly a decade of Spanish domination, after Marc Marquez (six titles), Jorge Lorenzo (2012 and 2015) and Joan Mir (2020) had won their previous nine world titles.
Australian Casey Stoner was the last non-Spanish rider to win the title when he dominated the 2011 season with Honda.
Reported by the official MotoGP website, Quartararo, meanwhile, started racing at the age of four, managed by Jean Phillipe Henry and his father Etienne, who is also a former French world champion in the 125cc class.
Quartararo's father is a locksmith, while his mother is a hairdresser. Quartararo currently lives in Andorra.
The driver nicknamed El Diablo is a popular figure in the racing world, being good friends with F1 drivers Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Off the track, Quartararo idolizes reggaeton superstar J Balvin, the Colombian singer is also a fan of the Yamaha rider. The two follow each other on Instagram.
Quartararo has a close friend named Thomas Maubant, the two met on the beach in childhood. They are now working together in the MotoGP paddock.
Quartararo is also a fashion literate. The Frenchman has modeled for Dolce & Gabbana in his spare time.
Apart from being a model in his spare time, Quartararo also likes to play golf.
The name El Diablo that he wears on the track is inspired by a replica of Roberto Locatelli's helmet which is decorated with a sticker with a devil image.
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF #ELD1ABLO pic.twitter.com/JzFkqWop5a
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 24, 2021
Quartararo also likes to eat burgers after finishing a busy race weekend in the paddock.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
