Monster Energy Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo has tꦺaken another step closer to a maiden MotoGP world championship after finish🍰ing second at COTA. 

Quartar𝓡ar💛o lost second place for all but a few seconds at the start, in what eventually turned out to be a lonely but impressive ride from the 22 year-old. 

Marc Marquez, who started third, got ahead of Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia on t꧋he approach to turn one, before the championship leader also squeezed down the inside of Bagnaia at said turn one. 

ಌQuartararo then held onto Marquez for five laps before Jorge Martin had a look at getting ahead of t𒉰he Frenchman. 

However, a move was not forthcoming as🐭 Quartararo instead pulled away from a trio of Ducati’s led by Martin. This was several laps later and at a stage where Marquez was we🍷ll up the road before taking win #7 at COTA. 

But for Quartararo, it’s perhaps the most important second place of the season f๊or the Yamaha man, as he now has a first match point opportunity at Misano. 

Speaking after the race, Quartararo said: "This was the best second place I d🦄id in my career for sure. Before starting that race I was feeling a bit more stressed to be honest, but from the first corner as soon as you start the race, the stress is off and I did a really g꧒ood race. 

"Really happy because Pecco [Bagnaia] was super strong duriܫng the last two races where he scored 50 ♏points. But, it was great to finish in front of him on this track."

Quartararo also stated that he tried as hard as possible to go with Marquez, but was unable to do so because of the Spaniard’s better p𒅌ace on used tyres. 

"I tried because I had a big group behind ඣand Jorge [Martin] tried to overtake me in turn one," said Quartararo. 

"My only solution to have a better race was to push, but I didn’t have the pace of🍰 Marc [Marquez], especially with used tyres which is where I was struggling. 

"At the end, the main goal was to get a podium♏ and 🤡we achieved it."