Why is Fabio Quartararo called ‘El Diablo’?
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Fabio Quartararo
After winning the 2021 MotoGP World Championship following the thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with Francesco Bagnaia throughout the entire year, 23-year-old Fabio Quartararo became an overnight sensation in the MotoGP sphere. And in the new 2022 season, the Frenchman has succeeded in putting up an amazing performance to win back-to-back podiums in Portugal and Spain, and he is now at the top of the MotoGP Championship charts once again.
While many motorsport enthusiasts often compare Fabio Quartararo to the eight-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez, the Frenchman has made his own mark in this sport. Ever since he started racing at the age of 4, the racer has succeeded in several tournaments, and made his way into MotoGP–the highest league of motorcycle racing. But Fabio is not the first in his family to take up this profession. He always admired his father, Etienne Quartararo, who won the 125cc category Championship, and Fabio wanted to be like him.
In 2013, Fabio, who had now moved to Spain, signed a deal with Wild Wolf Racing to participate in the CEV Repsol Moto3 series. He became the youngest person to win the Championship title ever since Aleix Esparago won it in 2004 at 14 years and 218 days old. Since then, Quartararo’s career picked up pace and he never had to look back. Many fans often speculate why Fabio, being such a vibrant, handsome person got the nickname of ‘El Diablo’ which translates to ‘the Devil’ in Spanish.
Fabio Quartararo’s racing mates gave him the name ‘El Diablo’ even before he came into MotoGP
Athletes often find themselves with nicknames which their fans lovingly give them for all their achievements. For Fabio Quartararo, the nickname he got did not reflect his vivacious personality at all. Being a handsome Frenchman with angelic features, he is as far from being ‘the Devil’ as we can imagine. But still, the nickname has stuck with him for a long time, and fans began wondering why Quartararo is called so.
What’s the story with “El Diablo”? Someone saw Fabio littering in the paddock one day and decided he’s evil or is it one of those self-proclaimed nicknames?
— Zara Daniela (@ZaraDaniella) November 20, 2020
Putting an end to his fans’ curiosity, Fabio Quartararo explained how he got such a nickname in an interview right after he was named the MotoGP World Champion in 2021. He said, “A lot of people ask me where my nickname comes from. It’s a 2008 photo with a devil on the back of my helmet.” The Yamaha rider further continued, “That’s why some riders called me El Diablo when we raced together after practice. So I decided to keep it! ” The helmet he was taking about is a replica of the helmet that belonged to Italian racer Roberto Locatelli. It had a Red devil painted at the back of it.
But when it comes to racing on his Yamaha bike, Fabio Quartararo is as fair a rider as ever. ‘The Devil’ in Fabio Quartararo only comes out when he wants to win, and rise to the top in whatever he does. He commented on his nickname in an interview with Marca, saying, “Being a devil has always meant being up front for me. I’d like to be a devil to work hard but not a real devil.”
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)