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The thrilling 2021 MotoGP season saw Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo clinch his maiden title with three races to spare ahead of Francesco Bagnaia and 2020 champion Joan Mir.
The Frenchman won five races throughout the season and stood on the podium a further five times on course to sealing the championship at Misano.
Eight riders took glory for four different manufacturers in one of the most exhilarating MotoGP seasons to date.
Brad Binder’s win at the Austrian Grand Prix in August was voted race of the season by fans as the South African rider braved the worsening conditions on dry tyres to clinch the second victory of his MotoGP career.
Riders Champion – Fabio Quartararo
Overall, it was an impeccable season for the 21-year-old Frenchman as he clinched his first MotoGP title with 278 points but how did El Diablo achieve the feat?
It wasn’t a perfect start for Quartararo in Qatar after his Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales took victory in round one. The Frenchman soon replied with back to back wins in Doha a week later and in Portimao in round three.
Arm pump woes robbed him of a hat-trick of victories in Jerez as he surrendered the lead to Jack Miller, however, the 21-year-old stood on the rostrum once more at his home Grand Prix in Le Mans in tricky mixed weather with a third-place finish.
Winning ways returned as El Diablo won the Italian Grand Prix before a wardrobe malfunction ended the Yamaha man’s podium chances in Catalunya which saw him finish sixth and without a disqualification.
Two dominant wins at Assen and Silverstone were backed up by two solid third-place finishes in Germany and Styria. At that point, Quartararo had a 65-point advantage at the top of the standings coming into the final six races of the season.
Despite title rival Bagnaia winning four of the last six races, Quartararo clinched two second-place finishes in San Marino and the United States which gave him the perfect platform to take the title at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Quartararo climbed from 15th on the grid to fourth before Bagnaia crashed out of the race with just two laps to go which handed the championship to the Yamaha man.
Consistent high-placed finishes and damage limitation when he was struggling were just a handful of the many reasons why Quartararo was so successful in 2021.
Bagnaia’s early season form and mistakes in crucial races, including the race where Quartararo won the title at Misano, is what hindered the Italian. However, just like the Frenchman, those mistakes are there to be learned from ahead of the new season.
Constructors’ Champions – Ducati
The Italian outfit’s rider line-up proved crucial as they retained the constructors’ title. Bagnaia and Miller represented the Factory outfit with Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco riding well for the Pramac team and Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini clinching points finishes throughout the season as well as Michele Pirro who scored two points finishes at both visits to Misano.
Consistency was key for Ducati as they took seven victories thanks to Bagnaia (4), Miller (2) and Martin (1) alongside 18 podiums between the six full-time riders. Pole position was also occupied by a Ducati on 10 occasions from the 18 rounds in 2021.
Perhaps the only fault for the bike was the inability to turn and carry corner speed, however, their rocket power in a straight line made up for that.
Bagnaia and Zarco’s title charges at both ends of the season with Miller, Martin and Bastianini’s impressive results added on top saw the manufacturer clock up 357 points to Yamaha’s 309 and Suzuki’s 240.
Rookie of the Year – Jorge Martin
The rookie of the year was Jorge Martin who narrowly came out on top in his battle with Enea Bastianini as the Spaniard finished ninth in the standings with 111 points.
Martin started his MotoGP career in fine style in Qatar. On his debut, he scored a point before taking pole and claiming a podium finish at the Doha Grand Prix a week later.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, this form would be cut short after he missed four races before the summer break due to a horrifying free practice crash in Portugal. Martin returned to action in Catalunya as he finished 14th and followed it up with a 12th place finish in Germany and retirement in Assen.
After the five-week break, he converted pole to his first-ever premier-class victory in Styria and secured a third-place finish in the mixed-weather mayhem in Austria.
Strong pace at Silverstone was soon wiped out as Marc Marquez made a rash move on Martin at Club corner on the opening lap.
Two retirements at Misano sandwiched a solid fifth-place finish in the States and were followed by a seventh-place finish at the Algarve Grand Prix.
Martin capped off a great rookie year by qualifying on pole position which led to him standing on the podium after finishing second in Valencia.
Unsung Hero – Aleix Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro got the best out of his Aprilia machine. The Spaniard scored 120 points in 2021, finishing eighth in the riders’ standings, and earned a healthy chunk of points for his outfit that saw them finish ninth in the teams’ championship.
In comparison to his 2020 finish, this season was fantastic as he came 17th in the riders’ standings with just 42 points last year. The Spaniard and Brit Bradley Smith contributed 52 points for Aprilia which put them last in the teams’ championship.
Espargaro clinched the team’s maiden MotoGP podium in Silverstone after an excellent ride and a dramatic last-lap battle to hold off the charging Miller.
Not finishing lower than 10th in every race that he finished this season has proved crucial in his battle with compatriot Marc Marquez.
Partnered alongside Vinales in 2022, Espargaro’s positive foundations from recent years could give Aprilia the springboard to have an exciting and positive 2022.
Race of the Season – Austrian Grand Prix
Binder’s brilliance in Austria still astounds MotoGP fans almost four months later.
To stay out on slick tyres as many of his fellow riders pitted for wets and to keep it upright for four laps despite the downpour to claim the win is something only the brave and bold can do.
The box-office finale had fans on the edge of their seats as the South African took his first win of the season at his team’s home track ahead of Bagnaia and Martin in third.
Binder in fact came from outside the top five so his no-loss gamble turned into quite possibly the best ride of the season.
Have you ever seen anything like that?!
Virtually dancing on ice for the last few laps, Brad Binder shows incredible bravery!
This sport! ❤️
?? #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/nvf5wIVF76
— MotoGP on BT Sport (@btsportmotogp) August 15, 2021
The Red Bull Ring is a difficult track to master in the dry, let alone the wet. The Red Bull KTM man navigated two heavy braking zones into turns three and four and steadily rounded the long turns six and seven, a feat that Binder probably couldn’t do again if he tried.
What makes it so much more impressive is experienced riders who’ve won mixed-weather races before, including Marc Marquez, crashed whilst running the wet tyres.
This was Binder’s second win of his MotoGP career and his team’s second after Miguel Oliveira’s triumph in Catalunya.
So long, farewell
At the end of every MotoGP season, a number of riders move on for pastures new.
The sport’s greatest, Valentino Rossi, bowed out at the end of his 26th season in MotoGP. The nine-time world champion has been involved in some of the most iconic races of the past two decades, and with over 200 career wins and podiums combined, Rossi hangs up his leathers for good.
Another fan favourite, Danilo Petrucci, ended his nine-year stint in MotoGP before taking on the challenge that is the Dakar Rally.
Petrucci’s KTM Tech3 teammate Iker Lecuona also waves goodbye to the sport as the 21-year-old Spaniard heads to join the Factory Honda World Superbike outfit partnering ex-Moto2 rider Xavi Vierge.
Finally, Lorenzo Savadori will remain in the MotoGP paddock but will operate as Aprilia’s test rider.
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