READ MORE: MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi said driving around Silverstone is like "having sex"Quartararo, meanwhile, endured a second accident - a nasty high side - and retired for the first time this season.
However, he still sits top of the pile – albeit now just 21 points clear of Espargaro.Quartararo bagged his first MotoGP title last term, having finished 5th overall in 2019 and 8th in 2020.
And in contrast to Marquez and Rossi, the 24-year-old was never a standout performer in the Moto2 ranks.But since making the step up to the premier class just three years ago, Quartararo has made huge strides.
Ex-Ducati ace turned pundit Hodgson reckons there’s even more to come.“I do think he can go up a level and that's what is impressive about him,” he said. “When you see him in and around the paddock, he's happy in his own skin, has a good relationship with the team and never seems stressed.“You can tell he enjoys being the main man in the paddock, but he's not cocky - he's completely normal and credit to him.”Perry, who has been covering MotoGP for BT Sport since 2016, agrees that Quartararo is something special.
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