Why Quartararo's Portugal win wasn't only vital for his MotoGP title hopes

Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations

Lewis Duncan Apr 25, 2022, 3:03 PM

Upd: Apr 26, 2022, 12:43 AM

Having romped to five wins in 2021 on his way to becoming France’s first ever MotoGP world champion, few would have thought it would take until the fifth round of 2022 at the Portuguese Grand Prix before Fabio Quartararo stood on the top step of the podium. Not since last August’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone has La Marseillaise rung out over a circuit PA to celebrate a Quartararo victory.

The start to 2022 has been far tougher than Yamaha would have hoped. But for most onlookers – and perhaps even Quartararo himself – it wasn’t unexpected. Yamaha made little inroads in finding more horsepower from its 2022 bike, having regularly occupied the bottom of MotoGP’s speed charts in 2021.

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Author Lewis Duncan

Lewis Duncan is Autosport's International Editor and primary motorcycle racing reporter. A motorsport fan from a young age, Lewis became interested in journalism when he won the star letter competition in the February 2012 issue of F1 Racing Magazine. A member of the Autosport Academy from 2017, Lewis became a freelance motorcycle racing correspondent for Autosport in 2019 before becoming a full-time staffer in 2020 as International Editor.

While MotoGP coverage is his priority, Lewis also covers World Superbikes and road racing across the Motorsport Network, and hosts the Tank Slappers Podcast. He has also occasionally commentated on 750 Motor Club meetings. Away from motorsport, Lewis is a keen record collector with a collection unashamedly largely featuring Iron Maiden and Rush and an avid guitar player.