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(Motorsport-Total.com) – Official Suzuki rider Joan Mir has secured the MotoGP World Championship title ahead of schedule. Seventh place in the second Valencia race was enough to make a preliminary decision in the drivers’ standings.
© GP-Fever.de
Joan Mir gave Suzuki his first world title in 20 years Focus
The victory in the penultimate race of the season went to Franco Morbidelli (Petronas-Yamaha) (on the result). Jack Miller narrowly failed to win and finished second. Pol Espargaró (KTM) completed the podium.
“Incredible! I have no words to describe these feelings,” commented the new MotoGP World Champion, Joan Mir. “I have fought for it all my life. Right now I can’t laugh, but I can’t cry either. They are mixed feelings.”
“I am very, very happy. If you pursue your dream all your life and then you can do it. At that moment I can’t understand what is happening. I need some time now to understand that. I have no words.” says the new MotoGP champion.
Franco Morbidelli regrets missed World Cup opportunity
“Incredible!”, Franco Morbidelli is happy for the victory in the penultimate Grand Prix of the year. “I took the hard front tire because we weren’t sure if the medium tire would have held up. I had to drive differently. It was better on the brakes, but I lost a little bit in the corners. Then I had problems with the rear tire. I knew Jack would come. “
“On the last lap I gave everything to win,” said Morbidelli. “It was a clean and sporty match. I don’t know how many times we got ahead. I finally won. Jack drove at an impressive pace. I gave it my all and won every lap. Unfortunately, I lost my World Cup opportunity.”
© Motorsport Images
Franco Morbidelli achieved his third MotoGP victory Focus
Jack Miller was less than a tenth of a second short of his second MotoGP victory. “A fantastic last round match,” said the Australian. “It was a lot of fun, especially on such a difficult track. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out at all, but we worked very well and had a very good pace. There is nothing more to say. Congratulations to Joan and all Suzuki. Team. You deserve it.”
Pol Espargaró repeated the podium last weekend. “It was fantastic, I’m super happy! We weren’t expecting a podium this weekend,” confesses the Spaniard. “Of course we deserve it, but Nakagami was faster today. Then he made the mistake. I was on the limit from start to finish and made no mistakes. The fifth podium of the season is incredible.”
Agreement on the choice of the rear tire
At the start of the race at 2pm, the 21 drivers encountered sunny conditions. However, a strong wind blew the track, which was especially feared by the Ducati riders. In the past, Desmosedici used to be very sensitive to wind.
All drivers opted for the medium rear tire. At the front, most relied on the tough mix. Only Maverick Vinales (Yamaha), Fabio Quartararo (Petronas-Yamaha), Stefan Bradl (Honda), Jack Miller (Pramac-Ducati) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) chose the medium front tire.
Fabio Quartararo is pushed out of line
Ducati driver Jack Miller got off to the best start. The Australian took the lead from second on the grid. But Miller still had to choose a wide line at Turn 1. Pole setter Franco Morbidelli took first position without a fight and led the field on the first lap.
Still at Turn 2, Fabio Quartararo was thrown at the end of the field after he had to leave the line due to an incident with fellow Yamaha brand Maverick Vinales. Quartararo had to go a long way and had to catch up.
Morbidelli finished the first lap in the lead ahead of Miller. KTM rider Pol Espargaró was in third position. World Championship leader Joan Mir crossed the finish line in tenth position after the first lap. Morbidelli aside, the Yamaha riders got off to a disastrous start and were outside the top 10.
Franco Morbidelli controls the race
At the top, Morbidelli was able to easily break away from Miller. Pol Espargaró tried to keep up with Miller. Behind him, a small gap opened for the chasing group, which was led by Takaaki Nakagami (LCR-Honda). The official Suzuki rider, Joan Mir, continued driving in tenth position. At the beginning of the sixth lap, Johann Zarco (Avintia-Ducati) supported at Turn 1.
After Takaaki Nakagami made a mistake at Turn 1, Tech 3 KTM rider Miguel Oliveira took the lead in the chasing group. Nakagami came under pressure from Suzuki rider Alex Rins, who wanted to keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Franco Morbidelli, Jack Miller and Pol Espargaró at the front were six-tenths of a second apart after the first third of the race. Behind him was a gap of 1.6 seconds to Miguel Oliveira.
Fabio Quartararo’s world hopes are about to explode
Fabio Quartararo retired from the race with a crash on lap nine. The Frenchman’s hopes for the World Cup were shattered. Although Joan Mir was only in ninth position, he was on track to secure the title ahead of schedule.
In the chasing group, Takaaki Nakagami took the lead again and regained fourth place. Miguel Oliveira lost another position to Alex Rins and slipped to sixth position.
Franco Morbidelli had taken a comfortable lead of more than a second at halftime of the race. Jack Miller was in second position, Pol Espargaró was third. There was a little more tension in the chasing group.
Yamaha factory duo experience disappointing career
The positions in the top 3 seemed to have been taken. Franco Morbidelli controlled his advantage. Jack Miller drove with a cushion of just under a second over Pol Espargaro in second place. Takaaki Nakagami was able to break free from the rest of the chasing group and struggled to reach the top 3.
Alex Rins was in fifth position and had two KTMs behind him with Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. Joan Mir was in eighth position and was heading towards the world title. The race for the Yamaha riders with the 2020 version of the M1 was disappointing. Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi made their laps outside the top 10.
Jack Miller and Takaaki Nakagami are picking up the pace
With the fastest lap of the race, Jack Miller put an exclamation point on lap 17 and thus reduced the distance with Franco Morbidelli. The first two approached. And third place was also exciting again. Takaaki Nakagami fought his way to Pol Espargaró with consistently fast laps and was within nine laps before the end of the race.
Takaaki Nakagami attacked Pol Espargaró on lap 19 at the last corner. The Japanese fell when releasing the front brake, throwing a possible podium. Pol Espargaró was lucky to be able to evade in time.
Franco Morbidelli is pressured by Jack Miller
Franco Morbidelli continued under pressure from Jack Miller, who attacked hard in the later stages. Six laps before the end of the race, Miller’s gap was only half a second. Almost three seconds behind, Pol Espargaró was in third position. Alex Rins was fourth, Joan Mir was seventh.
Miller came within 0.2 seconds of Morbidelli, but the leader had a response and increased the lead again to half a second. The Morbidelli pit crew continued to show a lead of just 0.2 seconds to keep the Italian going.
Thriller in the last round
Two laps before the end of the race, Miller came within 0.2 seconds of Morbidelli. At the start of the last lap, Miller passed Morbidelli on the straight, but he went off the line at Turn 1. Morbidelli responded on Turn 2. In turns 4 and 5, the two fighters switched positions again.
Morbidelli saved the lead over the finish line. Miller failed to win by 0.093 seconds and finished second. Third place went to KTM rider Pol Espargaró, who crossed the line three seconds behind the leading duo.
Seventh place is enough for Joan Mir to win the world title
Alex Rins’ fourth place wasn’t enough to keep World Cup hopes alive. His teammate Joan Mir won the world title with a discreet seventh place. I finished 8.703 seconds after the winner Franco Morbidelli.
KTM riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira finished fifth and sixth in the second Valencia race. Ducati official rider Andrea Dovizioso finished eighth. Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) and Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) completed the top 10.
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac-Ducati), Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Cal Crutchlow (LCR-Honda), Stefan Bradl (Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) completed the final positions in points. Alex Márquez (Honda), Tito Rabat (Avintia-Ducati) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) did nothing.
The MotoGP season finale will take place next weekend in Portimao (Portugal).
