Joan Mir wins 2020 MotoGP world title

As far as title-winning races go – especially in one of the most intriguing seasons in recent memory – 2020’s was remarkably unremarkable.

The newly crowned MotoGP world champ Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki) raced a clean, patient and clever race to seventh, enough to seal his fate with one race still left to run. Franco Morbidelli (Pretronas Yamaha SRT) won his third race of the season after leading from just the second corner and, despite a couple of last lap lunges by Aussie Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati), looked untouchable right across the weekend.

Related Reading:
Maiden MotoGP victory for Joan Mir
Morbidelli puts on MotoGP masterclass in Aragon
Suzuki shines as Alex Rins wins in Aragon

Miller’s second-place finish was one his best rides of the year. The Aussie took the holeshot into the first corner but ran wide which let Morbidelli through. And despite stunning consistency and rhythm from the Petronas rider, Miller reduced gap from 1.5s at half race distance to pass Morbidelli on the last corner of the penultimate lap. Morbidelli eventually wrestled back control for the win.

It was opposing fortunes for his Petronas Yamaha teammate Fabio Quartararo who ran wide in the early stages of the opening lap and crashed out trying to make up places. It was a dismal end to a season which started so promising with two dominant wins.

Morbidelli and Miller were joined on the podium by Pol Espargaro, who’s strong form continues as he winds down his career with KTM. Alex Rins’ fourth-place finish was enough to seal the Ecstar Suzuki squad the teams championship alongside Mir’s rider’s title and, despite only having two bikes on the grid compared to Ducati’s six, for example, look on track to seal the constructor’s title in Portimao and take the coveted triple crown.

For the fourth race this season, Idemitsu LCR Honda rider Taka Nakagami looked well poised to pick up his first-ever premier-class podium, but threw away his chances yet again when lunged up the inside of Pol Espargaro for third place, losing the front the front with just eight laps to go.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) finished fifth ahead of Tech3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveira while Andrea Dovizioso (Team Ducati) finished just two-hundredths of a second behind Mir in eighth place. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Team Gresini) and Maverick Vinales (Monster Yamaha) completed the top 10, the latter crossing the line almost 20 seconds behind the race winner on a one-year-old version of his factory Yamaha.

Mir’s title makes him the first-ever rider to win both a Moto3 and MotoGP championship, and the Hamamatsu factory’s sixth title winner – a fitting celebration to mark Suzuki’s 100th anniversary.

With Mir’s uncatchable 171 points, the chase now moves for second in the championship. Morbidelli moves up to second on 142 points ahead of Rins (138) and Vinales (127). Fabio Quartararo’s crash drops him to fourth overall and on equal points with Andrea Dovizioso on 125.

Red Bull KTM’s Jorge Martin was the first rider over the line in the Moto2 Grand Prix, a race which could have been won by any one of four riders scrapping for glory in Valencia. The Spaniard beat Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) to the line by just seven-hundredths of a second, just a handful of corners after Fabio Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) crashed out of the lead as he chased his first-ever Moto2 victory.

Third place went to last week’s winner Marco Bezzechi (Sky Racing Team VR46) ahead of Marcel Schrotter (Liqui-Moly Intact) and teammate Luca Marini.

Enea Bastianini’s sixth place extended his championship lead out to 194 over the 14th-placed Sam Lowes’ 180 points, Marini remains in third on 176 ahead of Bezzechi (171) and Martin (150). Aussie Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR Sag Team) finished seventh and sits sixth on the ladder on 110 points.

Tony Arbolino (Rivalcold Snipers) picked up his first race victory of 2020 when he won the Moto3 Grand Prix in Valencia, putting himself into title-winning contention with just one round left to run. Joining him on the podium was Sergio Garcia and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM) with Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar) and Darryn Binder (CIP Gren Power) rounding out the top five.

Arenas still leads the points tally on 170 and has an eight-point buffer back to Ai Ogura (Team Honda Asia) who placed eighth in the race. Then it’s Arbolino on 159 ahead of Leopard Honda’s Juame Masia (140) and Sky Team VR46’s Celestino Vietti on 137.

The final showdown takes place in Portimao in six days’ time.