[ad_1]
Suzuki ace Alex Rins resisted pressure from Repsol Honda rookie Alex Márquez in Aragon and is the eighth different MotoGP winner of the 2020 season. Joan Mir took the championship lead in third place.
The 2020 MotoGP short season has already brought us seven winners and 15 different riders on the podium in nine Grands Prix. It doesn’t have to stay that way, because the starting position of the “Michelin Grand Prix of Aragon” promised pure emotion: World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo, himself a three-time winner of the season, started from pole for the tenth time in his MotoGP career, alongside him. His Yamaha colleague Maverick Viñales and Cal Crutchlow stood out. For the first time since Austin 2019, LCR Honda veteran returned to the front row.
However, Suzuki’s ace Joan Mir lurked in the second row of the grid. The World Cup runner-up hasn’t been this far ahead since the Styrian GP in August, when the 23-year-old was heading for his first premier-class victory to the red flag.
There would definitely be a premiere, because none of the previous MotoGP winners at MotorLand Aragón – Marc Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner – were not there in 2020. Also, the Crown-related absence of Valentino Rossi ensured that for the first time Since 1996, a Grand Prix has started on the grid without a “premier class” champion, with bright sunshine and a 31-degree asphalt temperature.
Shortly after the start, Yamaha was still ahead, but with a spectacular start from the fourth row, Alex Rins laid the foundation for success. Repsol Honda rider Alex Márquez, who also only had to fight his way from the fourth row of the grid, assured that the Suzuki rider works hard for his third MotoGP victory until the end.
I couldn’t keep up until the end, but third place was enough to take the championship lead. Because the big loser of the day was Quartararo at the end: the Pole moved to 18th place.
This was the race:
Start: Morbidelli is off to a good start, but going far: Viñales leads ahead of Quartararo, Morbidelli, Rins, Mir, Miller, Nakagami and Dovizioso, who only started from 13th on the grid.
Lap 2: Alex Márquez overtakes Dovizioso on the brakes at Turn 1. Viñales has a small lead of 0.6 seconds over his fellow brands. I can’t find a way past Miller (5th).
Third round: Rins snatches third place from Morbidelli. I go to Miller. Unlike the five in front of him, the Australian chose the medium rear tire. The same goes for Dovi, by the way. Bagnaia says goodbye with a fall.
Lap 4: Rins, the fastest man on the track, is hanging from Quartararo’s rear wheel. Morbidelli is not coming with you. Behind them, Alex Márquez took seventh place from his colleague Honda Nakagami.
Fifth round: Quartararo leaves the door open, Rins sneaks in. Stefan Bradl is now 18th.
Round 6: Alex Marquez works his way past Miller and is now sixth. Miller wants to fight back, but the rookie stands his ground.
7th round: Turn from Rins to Viñales. Another 0.7 seconds behind is Quartararo, who has to watch out for his teammate Morbidelli. The Petronas duo are fighting for third place after the back straight on the brakes; they both go far, thank you and they are new third parties. Nakagami grabbed Miller.
Lap 8: Rins takes the lead at the last corner! Alex Márquez overtakes the world leader and is fifth. Quartararo is obviously struggling to hold the line.
Round 9: Rins comes out for half a second. Alex Marquez also grabs Morbidelli at Turn 16.
Round 10: Dovizioso and Crutchlow battle for ninth place.
11th round: Quartararo (6th) has to face back, Nakagami passes and Miller lurks behind. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez is the fastest man on the field.
Round 12: Alex Marquez it’s my turn. Quartararo falls back to ninth place and therefore also behind Dovi.
Round 13: Rins leads 0.6 seconds ahead of Viñales, who has to watch out for me. The Yamaha rider tries to keep his back straight, but cannot hold the line and the Suzuki rider works passes.
Round 14: Alex Márquez follows suit and also passes Viñales. Rins benefits from the battles for positions behind him, the gap is widening. Quartararo passed in 15th place.
Lap 15: I get closer to his Suzuki partner, Rins. Alex Márquez doesn’t give up either.
Round 16: Dovizioso passes Miller and is seventh.
Lap 17: Viñales is already two seconds behind third place. Binder overtakes Aleix Espargaró; in twelfth place, the South African is the first KTM in the field. Quartararo is only 17th, ahead of Bradl.
Round 18: Rins still has half a second of credit on the pursuers. Alex Márquez pushes me and passes at Turn 16.
Round 19: Alex Marquez relies on Rins. Unlike the Suzuki Assen, the Repsol Honda rider opted for the medium front tire.
Lap 20: Four laps before the end, I’m 0.8 seconds behind the duo in front. Viñales follows another two seconds behind.
Lap 21: Alex Márquez lurks behind Rins. The rookie Repsol, however, has to survive a violent slide at Turn 17.
Round 22: Rins has 0.3 seconds of breath, but Alex Marquez doesn’t give up. I am scammed.
Last lap: Alex Márquez doesn’t get close enough to launch an attack. Rins is the eighth MotoGP winner of the 2020 season. I will take the lead in third place, the first Suzuki rider since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000.
Result, MotoGP race, Aragon (18.10.):
1. Rins, Suzuki, 41: 54,391 min
2. Alex Márquez, Honda, + 0.263 sec
3. Mir, Suzuki, + 2.644
4. Viñales, Yamaha, + 2,880
5. Nakagami, Honda, +4,570
6. Morbidelli, Yamaha, + 4.756
7. Dovizioso, Ducati, + 8,639
8. Crutchlow, Honda, + 8913
9. Miller, Ducati, + 9,390
10. Zarco, Ducati, + 9,617
11. Folder, KTM, + 13,200
12. Pol Espargaró, KTM, + 13,689
13. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, + 14,598
14. Lecuona, KTM, + 15,291
15. Petrucci, Ducati, + 15,941
16. Oliveira, KTM, + 18,284
17 Bradl, Honda, +20136
18. Quartararo, Yamaha, + 21,498
19. Smith, Aprilia, + 25,300
20. Rabat, Ducati, + 25,558
World Drivers’ Championship place after 10 out of 14 races:
1. Mir, 121 Punkte. 2. Quartararo 115. 3. Viñales 109. 4. Dovizioso 106. 5. Nakagami 92. 6. Morbidelli 87. 7. Rins 85. 8. Miller 82. 9. Pol Espargaró 77. 10. Oliveira 69. 11. Binder 67 12. Alex Márquez 67. 13. Petrucci 65. 14. Rossi 58. 15. Zarco 53. 16. Bagnaia 42. 17. Aleix Espargaró 27. 18. Crutchlow 21. 19. Lecuona 20. 20. Smith 11. 21. Bradl 8. 22. Rabat 8. 23. Pirro 4.
Constructors’ Championship:
1. Yamaha 183. 2. Ducati 160. 3. Suzuki. 4. KTM 130. 5. Honda 112. 6. Aprilia 35.
Team-WM:
1. Team Suzuki Ecstar 206. 2. Petronas Yamaha SRT, 202 Punkte. 3. Ducati Team 171. 4. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 167. 5. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 144. 6. Pramac Racing 128. 7. LCR Honda 113. 8. Red Bull KTM Tech3 89. 9. Repsol Honda Team 75. 10. Esponsorama Racing 61. 11. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 38.
