Marc Marquez's enforced absence in 2020 opened the championship door for Quartararo to walk through, but the Frenchman stumbled with the summit in sight. Fast-forward 12 months and with Marquez either injured or compromised when he did race, Quartararo got his head right and his name atop the standings early, securing a much-deserved title at Misano to become the first rider from his country to annex the top prize.

Electrifying in qualifying and metronomic in races, Quartararo has – in a circuitous way – delivered on the promise his stellar junior career suggested. Now comes the hard part: sustaining it.