Fabio Quartararo turned off his television to avoid witnessing Francesco Bagnaia's title celebrations before quickly turning his attention to reclaiming his MotoGP™ crown next year.
Quartararo's hopes of retaining his championship were slim heading into Sunday's season-closing Valencia Grand Prix.
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The Frenchman needed to win the race while seeing rival Bagnaia finish no better than 15th.
Instead, Quartararo could only manage fourth, while Bagnaia crossed the line in ninth to secure an ultimately comfortable title triumph.
The dethroned champion's pain was clear after the race, but he sought to focus on the positives, using his frustration as motivation for 2023.
"That's the positive and the negative side, of course," Quartararo told BT Sport. "It hurts a lot – I had to turn off the TV.
"But it's motivation to say, 'okay, we lost the title, but I will be back'. The team is working super hard, so there is no reason we cannot fight for the championship next year."
Quartararo referenced "an up-and-down season", which included "quite a lot of struggle", but there is optimism ahead of a post-season test on Tuesday.
"It will be really important," he said. "I want to always be in the top position, and I will try my best. I will work super hard, and I am pushing the team to make the same.
"I think next year is going to be a good year, and hopefully we can really bring a performing bike to fight with them."
It’s a wrap 👏
— Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (@YamahaMotoGP) November 6, 2022
#MonsterYamaha | #MotoGP | #ValenciaGP pic.twitter.com/ygAaMw3i4g
