Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo has built his ideal MotoGP rider from past and present names, but he has only chosen Valentino Rossi’s media management from the seven-time champion.
Rossi is one of the greatest motorcycle racers in history, and the Italian continues to hold the records for the most premier class Grand Prix wins (89) and podium finishes (199). His fierce nemesis Marc Marquez ranks second in those categories on 73 wins and 126 podiums so far.
Boasting a sensational ability to manage a race and adapt across different bikes and eras, as the last 500cc world champion and the first MotoGP champion, helped Rossi to become the hero he is. His riding style honed through a background on dirt bikes was also revolutionary.
Yet Quartararo has chosen riding traits from himself, Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo and Jorge Martin to build his ideal MotoGP rider – with Rossi’s media management the only trait he would select from the Italian he replaced in the factory Yamaha team back in 2021.
Who’s going to win the Hungarian Grand Prix?
Fabio Quartararo picks Marc Marquez as the most complete rider in his ideal MotoGP pilot
Quartararo believes he is the best rider under braking, and that it is also his best attribute, so the 2021 MotoGP champion includes himself as part of his ideal MotoGP rider. But the Frenchman concedes that Marquez, Pedrosa, Martin and Lorenzo are better in other ways.
READ MORE: Ranking Valentino Rossi’s top five MotoGP rivalries, including Marc Marquez
Speaking with Moto.it, Quartararo has identified Pedrosa as the rider who is able to turn a MotoGP bike the most effectively. But he feels Lorenzo is the best at cornering, as the sole trait he takes from a rider who won three titles with Yamaha owing to his cornering speed.
Over a single lap, meanwhile, Quartararo believes the best qualifier is obviously Martin. He stated, “Martin, come on” when questioned on the best MotoGP rider for a single lap. The 2024 champion is renowned for his qualifying speed that has yielded 20 pole positions yet.
But in terms of being the most complete rider, Quartararo has picked seven-time champion Marquez to form the base of his ideal MotoGP pilot. No rider in premier class history has so far taken more poles than Marquez with 75, and he is second to Rossi for podiums with 126.
What changes would you make to Fabio Quartararo’s ideal MotoGP rider?
Marquez can also match Giacomo Agostini as the rider with the most premier class titles, as the Spaniard has won seven (after winning the 2025 championship to draw level with Rossi). Marquez cannot match Rossi’s record win tally of 89 until at least the 2027 MotoGP season.
Quartararo’s admiration of Marquez is nothing new, as the Frenchman has often been left in awe by the Spaniard since he joined him on the MotoGP grid back in 2019. In June last year, Quartararo called Marquez “an example as a rider” for his ability to perform in any situation.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
