Fabio Quartararo threw away his championship chances in Valencia, crashing in both visits to the Cheste circuit. However, now with no pressure, the Frenchman aims to have a strong final round of the season at the one-off race in Portimao.

Fabio Quartararo’s season began in fine style, winning two of the first three races of the season. However, from Andalucia, the 21-year-old had to wait until Catalunya, where he just scraped victory after destroying the rear tyre of his PETRONAS YZR-M1.

For Quartararo, his title chances are over, slipping to fifth in the championship behind his new-for-2021 team-mate Maverick Vinales. It’s not over for the rider from Nice as he sits just 17 points behind his current team-mate Franco Morbidelli who lies second.

Fabio Quartararo – PETRONAS Yamaha SRT – 5th

“It has been a long time since I have ridden at Portimão! I remember that the track is like a rollercoaster, with an uphill section followed by a big downhill bit, so I am really looking forward to being there again. It’s a shame we couldn’t bring the championship fight to this final round, but I want to have fun in this last race of the year. To do so, the first aim of the weekend will be to find the good feeling and speed that we lost since Le Mans. I really hope that we can end the season and these two years with the team in a good way with a great result.”

Franco Morbidelli – PETRONAS Yamaha SRT – 2nd

“I am really looking forward to the race in Portugal this weekend, where I rode an R1 in a test before the French GP. It’s a really nice place, close to the sea, and the track is very different to most of the ones we visit normally. It’s a bit like a rollercoaster on tarmac as there are many steep hills. It’s a tricky circuit to ride, so it’s a really nice challenge to end the season with. It’s great to be heading into this last race having won in Valencia, I hope we can have a good battle like we did last time out. Hopefully, we can have a really good final race of 2020, it would be a nice way to reward the team for their hard work.”

The MotoGP World Championship concludes this weekend in Portimao, with free practice one commencing on Friday at 10:10 local time.

Featured image: Yamaha-Racing