The2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 73rdF.I.M.Road Racing World Championship season.Fabio Quartararo won his first world title, with five race wins ahead of securing the title in the third last race of the season. Quartararo became the first ever Frenchman to win the premier class title, which was also the first title for a non-Spanish rider since AustralianCasey Stoner in2011. The season also sawFrancesco Bagnaia andJorge Martín win their first premier class races. In the overall standings, Bagnaia secured second place and reigning championJoan Mir secured third place, while Martín was named rookie of the year.Ducati secured the constructors' championship for the second consecutive season and the teams' championship for the first time since2007. In total, eight different riders won Grands Prix during the season.
Six-time MotoGP championMarc Márquez returned at the third race of the year after his arm and shoulder injury which had sidelined him from the2020 season. Having initially struggled with the injury, the former champion won three races from summer onwards. It was also the final season of seven-time MotoGP title winnerValentino Rossi after 22 seasons in the premier class, as well as the final season in which a 500cc-era debutant participated in the premier class.
Joan Mir andTeam Suzuki Ecstar began the season as defending riders' and teams' champions, respectively, whileDucati started as defending constructors' champion. Ducati andYamaha became early season favourites after winning all of the first five races of the season (rounds 1-3 for Yamaha ridersMaverick Viñales andFabio Quartararo, rounds 4-5 for Ducati riderJack Miller) and locking out all but one of the 15 podium positions between them. Perennial title favouriteMarc Márquez made his return to the series at the third round in Portugal, after missing nearly the entirety of the 2020 season as well as the first two rounds in Qatar due to recovering from an injury.[1]
By thesixth round in Italy, Quartararo became the first clear title favourite of the season after four consecutive pole positions and achieving his third win of the season, extending his championship lead to 24 points.[2]Miguel Oliveira won theCatalan round during a three-race podium streak. At theGerman Grand Prix, Marc Márquez made his first return to the podium since the2019 Valencian Grand Prix with a win, extending his unbroken streak of victories at theSachsenring to 11 in a row, dating back to 2010 in the 125cc class.[3] With his victory, Márquez ended Honda's longest win drought since their full-time return to the pinnacle of Grand Prix racing in 1982 at 581 days. At theDutch TT, Quartararo claimed his fourth win of the season, extending his lead in the riders' championship heading into the summer break, with a 34-point-advantage over his nearest rival and compatriotJohann Zarco.[4]
Returning from the summer pause inStyria, rookieJorge Martín translated his second career pole position into his maiden race win in just his sixth MotoGP race start,[5] and claimed the first victory forPramac Racing since their entry to the class in2002.[6] During the pre-event press conference,Valentino Rossi announced his retirement after 26 years on the Grand Prix circuit, effective at the end of the season.[7] At theAustrian Grand Prix, KTM riderBrad Binder took his second career victory in a flag-to-flag race in the rain, after electing to stay out on slicks with three laps remaining, while the other five riders of the lead group entered the pits to switch to wet tyres.[8] At an unseasonably coldBritish round, Quartararo took a dominant win while his nearest rivals faltered, extending his championship lead to 65 points with six rounds remaining. Silverstone also marked the first career MotoGP podium finish forAleix Espargaró and the first podium forAprilia as a manufacturer in the modern MotoGP era.[9]
InAragon, Ducati factory riderFrancesco Bagnaia led from pole position to take his inaugural MotoGP victory[10] and shortened Quartararo's championship advantage as the Frenchman struggled with tyres, dropping from third on the grid to finish eighth.[11] AtMisano, Bagnaia repeated his feat to win from pole for the second consecutive race, cutting the Frenchman's lead to just 48 points with four rounds remaining.[12] InAustin, Marc Marquéz topped the podium for the second time of the year, ahead of chief title contenders Quartararo and pole-sitter Bagnaia. With the win, Marquéz extended his dominance over theCircuit of the Americas, having won 7 of 8 total MotoGP visits to the track.[13]
At theEmilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Bagnaia started from pole for the fourth consecutive race, while Quartararo started from 15th position after a difficult qualifying session.[14] While Quartararo fought his way back into the top five, Bagnaia crashed from the lead with four laps remaining, gifting Marquéz his third win of the season. Ultimately finishing the race in fourth after a last-lap pass byEnea Bastianini, Quartararo was crowned the 2021 MotoGP World Champion.[15] Quartararo became the first ever Frenchman to win the premier class title, as well the first non-Spanish champion for a decade, since AustralianCasey Stoner in2011.
With Márquez missing theAlgarve Grand Prix from a concussion sustained in a training incident,[16] his winning streak ended. Bagnaia led from pole position to claim his third win of the season. After Quartararo crashed out of sixth position,Ducati secured the constructors' title. The race ended with a red flag after a collision betweenIker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira.[17] Bagnaia achieved his fourth victory of the season at the Valencian finale ahead of Martín and Miller in Ducati's first-ever podium lock-out, securing the team's championship for the Ducati factory team for the first time since 2007.[18]
In total, eight different riders won Grands Prix during the season, and fifteen different riders made it onto the podium.
As with the previous season, the 2021 championship wasaffected by theCOVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation or postponement of many races. As it became clear local pandemic conditions would not allow for a running of the Argentine or American Grands Prix as planned, both races were postponed and replaced with a second round in Qatar and a round in Portugal.[19] The return of the Finnish Grand Prix was delayed by a further year, as Finnish race officials did not wish to hold their inaugural event without fans in the grandstands, and the race was replaced with a second round in Austria.[20] The Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic situation in the country and the resulting travel complications and logistical restrictions, and was replaced by the new date for the American Grand Prix.[21] The Australian Grand Prix was cancelled in early July, due to the paddock's inability to meet the Australian government's requirement for a two-week quarantine for all foreign entries to the country, which would introduce too large of a disturbance to the MotoGP schedule.[22][23] With a mid-summer resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Thailand, its Grand Prix, planned for mid-October, was also cancelled for the second year in a row.[24] By mid-August, the rising number of infections in Malaysia caused the cancellation of the Grand Prix in that country (replaced by a second round at the Misano circuit),[25] meaning no championship rounds would be held east of Qatar for the second consecutive year.
Andrea Dovizioso left the Ducati factory team after 8 seasons with the team at the end of the2020 season.[58] On 10 November 2020, he announced his intentions to take asabbatical for the 2021 season and focus on a return in 2022.[59]
Stefan Bradl replacedMarc Márquez for the start of the season, as Márquez prolonged his recovery from his 2020 season-ending injury.[39]
Tito Rabat replacedJorge Martín for the Spanish and French Grands Prix, while the rookie recovered from injuries sustained in a Saturday morning crash at the Portuguese round.[33]
Ducati test riderMichele Pirro replaced Martín for the Italian Grand Prix.[34]
Álex Rins missed the Catalan Grand Prix after suffering a broken arm prior to the race. He was not replaced for the round.[60]
Lorenzo Savadori underwent surgery after his crash in the Styrian round. He missed the succeeding Austrian round and was not replaced.[62]
Yamaha withdrewMaverick Viñales from the Austrian Grand Prix, citing "unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle" during the Styrian Grand Prix.[63] Yamaha subsequently terminated his contract on August 20, thereby removing Viñales' entry in the championship.[64] He was replaced by Cal Crutchlow for the British[46] and Aragon rounds. Franco Morbidelli was subsequently promoted to the factory team as their championship rider for the rest of the season and the future, reuniting Morbidelli with former Petronas SRT teammateFabio Quartararo.[47]Andrea Dovizioso eventually returned from his sabbatical and returned to MotoGP, replacing Morbidelli as SRT's championship rider for the rest of the season.[65]
Maverick Viñales returned to MotoGP from the Aragon Grand Prix onwards withAprilia Racing Team Gresini, replacingLorenzo Savadori as the championship rider for the remainder of the season, with Savadori returning to his previous role as the test/reserve rider.[66] Viñales is contracted to ride for Aprilia in 2022.[67]
Marc Márquez missed the Algarve and Valencian Grands Prix after suffering a slight concussion during training days prior the race. He was replaced byStefan Bradl at Algarve,[16] but HRC elected not to replace Márquez for the finale in Valencia.[69]
TheFinnish Grand Prix was due to be reintroduced to the calendar after a 38-year absence. The venue hosting the round was to be the newKymi Ring, instead of theTampere Circuit used in 1962 and 1963, or theImatra Circuit which hosted the round until 1982. The Finnish Grand Prix had been included on the 2020 calendar, but the inaugural race was cancelled in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
TheCzech Republic Grand Prix was initially left off the provisional calendar, as the circuit requires mandatory resurfacing for safety compliance, and it was unclear if the necessary work could be completed in time for its typical schedule date in early August. The 11th round of the championship was therefore left open as provisionally pending.[87] On 8 December 2020,Brno city councillors opted out of the 2021 calendar, citing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[88] It marked the first absence of a Grand Prix inBrno since1992. The mayor of Brno hopes for the return of the championship in 2022.[89]
Calendar changes as a reaction to COVID-19 pandemic
With the uncertainty of the development of theCOVID-19 pandemic, championship organizerDorna elected in November 2020 to nominate three "Reserve Grand Prix Venues" which could be used in the event that local virus containment measures or regulations force the cancellation of a planned Grand Prix.[90]
The Portuguese Grand Prix atAlgarve had previously returned to the schedule as a replacement race for the final round of the COVID-19 shortened2020 season.[91]
A Russian Grand Prix would see the inaugural motorcycle Grand Prix in that country. TheIgora Drive circuit would be used.
On 22 January 2021, Dorna significantly updated the provisional calendar including the following changes:[19]
TheArgentine andAmerican Grands Prix would be postponed due to the COVID-19 situation in both countries, with potential rescheduling for the final quarter of 2021.
A double-header would open the season in Qatar on 28 March and 4 April, followed byPortugal as the third round.
The provisionally pending race created by the absence of the Czech Grand Prix was removed.
The potential Russian Grand Prix was removed from the reserve list, leaving Indonesia as the sole Reserve Grand Prix Venue.
On 14 May theFinnish Grand Prix was cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, and theStyrian Grand Prix would replace it on the date of 8 August. It was also confirmed that theIndonesian Grand Prix would remain a reserve Grand Prix in the 2021 calendar, subject to circuit homologation.[20]
On 6 July theAustralian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, with theMalaysian Grand Prix brought forward by a week to replace it on the date of 24 October. In addition, a new Grand Prix, theAlgarve Grand Prix, was introduced, which is scheduled to be held on 7 November.[82]
On 21 July theThailand Grand Prix was cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the country.[93]
On 19 August theMalaysian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions in the country. For its replacement, a second Grand Prix atMisano was introduced, having the same schedule as the cancelled Malaysian round.[94]
On 11 September the final championship calendar comprising 18 Grands Prix was confirmed. The Emilia Romagna and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix returned as the second Grand Prix at Misano, now having the shortened name ofEmilia Romagna motorcycle Grand Prix. The previously postponed Argentine Grand Prix was also cancelled.[81]
Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar[71]
Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal
Gran Premio Red Bull de España[72]
Shark Grand Prix de France[73]
Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley
Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya[74]
Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland[75]
Motul TT Assen[76]
Michelin Grand Prix of Styria[20]
Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich[77]
Monster Energy British Grand Prix[78]
Gran Premio Tissot de Aragón[79]
Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini[80]
Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia-Romagna[81]
Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana[83]
Argentine Republic motorcycle Grand Prix
Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix[20]
Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix[84]
Thailand motorcycle Grand Prix[85]
Australian motorcycle Grand Prix[70]
Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix[86]
: scheduled Grand Prix
: cancelled Grand Prix)
Brad Binder
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