After seven races in the 2021 MotoGP season, Fabio Quartararo leads the way in the championship. The Frenchman has won three of the seven races held so far this year, and sits 14 points ahead of compatriot Johann Zarco in the standings. Zarco is yet to win a race in the premier class, but has finished as runner-up four times so far in 2021. Jack Miller, who claimed victories in Spain and France, is third in the championship,
Where has MotoGP already visited this year?
Image: Box Repsol, CC BY 2.0
The 2021 MotoGP season began in Qatar, with a double header of races at Losail International Circuit. Maverick Viñales stormed to the opening win of the year, with reigning champion Joan Mir losing his hard fought second place to Ducati riders Johann Zarco and Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap. Fabio Quartararo stepped to the fore one week later in an enthralling Doha Grand Prix, in which the top 15 were separated by the smallest margin in MotoGP history.
Image: Box Repsol, CC BY 2.0
The series then returned to Europe, where it will remain until early October. At the Portuguese Grand Prix, Quartararo climbed to the top of the championship standings with his second win of the season at Portimão.
Image: Box Repsol, CC BY 2.0
Jack Miller dominated proceedings at Jerez in the Spanish Grand Prix, and went on to win again at the French Grand Prix, The Le Mans race was one of the highlights of the season to date. With the race held in dry to wet conditions, the riders had to adjust to the slippery conditions; with varying degrees of success.
Image: Box Repsol, CC BY 2.0
MotoGP raced in difficult circumstances over the Italian Grand Prix weekend following the loss of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier. Quartararo won the Mugello race from pole position, and started on pole again one week later in the Catalan Grand Prix. The Yamaha rider was not so lucky at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, coming home in sixth place after picking up two 3-second time penalties. Instead, Miguel Oliveira took the win, as Zarco’s second place finish allowed him to close to within 14 points of Quartararo’s championship lead.
Fans back in the grandstands
With coronavirus restrictions being lifted in some countries across Europe, MotoGP has recently announced plans for fans to return to race tracks. 20,000 fans will be permitted to attend the Aragon Grand Prix at MotorLand in early September, subject to a review of the situation in August.
Meanwhile, both races at the Red Bull Ring – the Styrian Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix – are expected to go ahead with full fan attendance. The races will be held on August 8 and August 15.
Where else will MotoGP visit in 2021?
There are two rounds left before MotoGP’s six week summer break. This weekend, the series heads to the Sachsenring in Germany, before a trip to TT Circuit Assen on June 27.
The aforementioned pair of races at the Red Bull Ring will kick start the second half of the season in August, before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 29. MotoGP then returns to Spain and Italy in September for further races in the countries, at MotorLand and Misano.
In the Autumn, the series plans to head to Asia for races in Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, with the Australian Grand Prix taking place at Phillip Island on October 24. Having hosted the penultimate round of the season in 2020, Circuit Ricardo Tormo returns to its usual calendar slot with the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix on November 14.
In addition to these rounds, are two postponed races yet to be re-added to the 2021 schedule. In late January, the Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of the Americas and the Argentine Grand Prix at Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo were indefinitely postponed. There are hopes that the two races will take place later in the year.
The 2021 MotoGP calendar
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