How have Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) performed at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in years gone by? It’s a question we’re posing ahead of #TheDecider on Sunday.

We’re going to rewind all the way back to 2011 when Bagnaia was competing in the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ paddock – previously known as the FIM CEV Repsol. Pecco recorded a P6 in that season when finishing behind some familiar names to MotoGP™ fans, including Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

Bagnaia’s first Grand Prix points in Valencia came in his third Moto3™ campaign in 2015 with a P13 finish. In 2016, his debut season as a Moto2™ rider, Pecco claimed P4 at the final round of the season to cap off a very promising season which included four podiums. However, another top 10 wouldn’t come Pecco’s way until 2021’s victory in Valencia.

But that’s the result to focus on: last year’s victory. Ducati boasted a podium lockout 12 months ago, with Pecco leading polesitter Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and teammate Jack Miller over the line. Five of the top 10 in last season’s curtain closer were Ducatis, a good omen for the Bologna factory as they know any one of their machines finishing on the top step will hand Bagnaia the 2022 title.

In the Frenchman’s eye-catching 2013 and 2014 CEV campaigns, Quartararo won all four races at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on his way to clinching both titles. El Diablo found life a little trickier in the Moto3™ World Championship though, with P14 his only points at the layout in 2016 before making the jump up to Moto2™ for 2017.

In the Frenchman’s eye-catching 2013 and 2014 CEV campaigns, Quartararo won all four races at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on his way to clinching both titles. El Diablo found life a little trickier in the Moto3™ World Championship though, with P14 his only points at the layout in 2016 before making the jump up to Moto2™ for 2017.

In the intermediate class, results were better. P8 and P6 were Quartararo’s finishes in 2017 and 2018, before a maiden World Championship podium in Valencia came at the end of his sensational rookie season in MotoGP™.

On the other hand, 2020 was a couple of races to forget. A DNF and P14 was what Quartararo came away with as he saw his title dreams evaporate. 2021 then came around with the number 20 arriving at Valencia already dubbed World Champion, but it was a weekend in which Quartararo struggled more than he had done in most other races. A P8 in qualifying was his second worst of the season – after his P15 at the Emilia-Romagna GP – as Quartararo eventually recovered to P5, over five seconds away from Bagnaia.

In reality, neither of the title-chasing duo will be thinking about their previous results in Valencia. Full focus will be on this weekend and this weekend only. A repeat of his CEV results is what Quartararo can collect if he’s to win his second World Championship title, with Pecco needing a P14 or better finish to become a MotoGP™ World Champion for the first time.