Fabio Quartararo names the 12-podium MotoGP rival who has surprised him most in 2025

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Fabio Quartararo has made big improvements during the 2025 MotoGP season and can almost taste victory on the tip of his tongue.

At the British Grand Prix, a win slipped through his grasp before a ride height failure stripped him of a massive result. MotoGP will eliminate the devices from 2027.

Yamaha hadn’t reached the top step with their superstar rider since the 2022 campaign, and a lot of work had been done since to return there.

But it wasn’t meant to be, leaving Quartararo to wait even longer for another win. His four pole positions this season show that the pace is there.

Even if he moved to Ducati, Quartararo couldn’t match Marc Marquez in one area and realises how great the Spaniard is.

However, Quartararo did produce one ‘rare’ feat at the German Grand Prix on his way to securing a podium. He has slowly been improving all year long.

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Fabio Quartararo has been ‘surprised’ by Alex Marquez in 2025

Quartararo has a ‘perfect’ opportunity to leave Yamaha, but he has shown a lot of faith in their project so far. He doesn’t want to abandon them.

But he can’t afford to waste his best years in MotoGP waiting for them to produce a bike which can finally compete with their rivals.

The Frenchman has had plenty of time to assess the performance of his rivals, and he told Diario AS that one in particular has shocked him. Alex Marquez has been surprising.

“There are many, but if I have to say one, it’s Marc,” he said. “When he finds the feeling again, Pecco. I know what it’s like to not have the feeling in front of him or to have doubts, and the day he’s fit, he’ll fight with Marc again.

“And Álex is the one who has surprised us all the most this year. Everyone here is good, but these three are the ones that catch my attention the most.”

READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo has now given Yamaha a ‘clear’ deadline to stop him joining MotoGP rival

How much better has Fabio Quartararo been than he was in 2024?

With Yamaha’s V4 bike set to arrive soon, there’s a chance that they could be challenging Ducati all of a sudden.

The much-awaited arrival of the machine is likely to be tested by Pramac first, but when they do use it on the track, they’ll hope that the woes of the M1 are put behind them almost immediately.

In 2024, that M1 bike led him to no results better than sixth, and that came at the Malaysian Grand Prix – a Sepang circuit which suits their style more than any other.

So this season, it would be expected that they might be able to win there, if they’re still on the M1. There will still be a steep learning curve with the V4 whenever they opt to introduce it.