Quartararo 'had no chance' to win MotoGP title decider in Valencia

The Yamaha rider had a strong start to the race and battled both Ducati riders in his bid for victory, which could have secured him the title had Bagnaia slipped lower than 14th.

Despite both Jack Miller and Marc Marquez crashing ahead of him, the 2021 world champion was unable to improve on his start position and finished fourth, with Francesco Bagnaia clinching the crown from ninth place.

Asked whether he could have made an impression on the victory fight having battled Bagnaia and Miller, he said: “No. Unfortunately not. We had great pace, we recovered a little bit with the front but, with Jack, he brakes in Turn 2 and we go off wide.

“I pushed when I have the touch with Pecco, I wanted to really push myself to the maximum. On that lap I was on the limit, basically all the race on the limit.

“But I have no regrets because I give my 100% today and when you lose the title like that at the end, you always need to find the positive, even if right now it’s 99% negative.

“The 1% positive is the next four months that I need to wait for the first race, I will be training hard, preparing myself better and fight harder in 2023.”

Quartararo was seen immediately congratulating his title rival following the race, with huge celebrations breaking out on track.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

He said that though the 15 minutes after the race was tough, he is “a fighter, a winner,” and looks forward to starting his preparation for next season.

The Frenchman added: “I mean of course after the race was emotional. I’m a fighter, a winner, I want to be in the first position.

“So of course the next 15 minutes after the race was tough.

“But it happens, it’s finished, we need to close the book and start a new chapter and it starts on Tuesday. So I’m really looking forward to doing that.”

Part of Quartararo’s struggles during Sunday’s race came from tyre problems, with the tyre compound too soft for the warm conditions.

He said the left side of his front tyre was “so much on the limit” and that he “could not do any better.”

Quartararo said: “It was not a problem of tyre pressure, it was just a problem of basically tyre compound being too soft.

“Luckily this year we had at least one step harder on left, but they are bringing tyres way too soft in this track and also I think because every year is more hot at this track – today it’s 26, 27 degrees.

“So that’s why also we are little bit too soft and we are always using super hard tyres. That’s the thing.”