Oliveira wins MotoGP finale in Portugal

Miguel Oliveira (Tech3 KTM) was in a class of his own as he controlled the first-ever Portuguese Grand Prix. From his first pole position, he lead the race from the very first corner and reeled off peerless laps to stretch out a four-second lead with 10 laps left to run.

Petronas Yamaha SRT rider Franco Morbidelli and Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller chased the Tech3 KTM man all race long in a battle that mimicked the pair’s race for victory last time out in Valencia. This time Miller’s last-lap lunge stuck and he grabbed second place off the Italian with a handful of laps to go.

Nine seconds further back, Pol Espargaro fought hard to take a relatively lonely fourth place in what was his last race with the factory Red Bull KTM squad, before he moves to partner Marc Marquez next season. And just as the KTM race win eluded the Spaniard, the maiden podium desperately wanted by Idemitsu LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami eluded the Japanese rider in 2020 as he crossed the line in fifth place.

Factory Ducati stalwart Andrea Dovizioso found some late-race rhythm to finish sixth in what may be his last premier-class race – he now sits out the 2021 season. HRC test rider and replacement for the injured Marc Marquez, Stefan Bradl, finished seventh, three tenths clear of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Repsol Honda teammate Alex Marquez, with Esponsorama Avintia Ducati’s Zohann Zarco rounding out the top 10.

It was a dismal day for the factory-spec Yamahas which were led home by Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi in 11th and 12th. Cal Crutchlow’s last ride as a full-time MotoGP was marked by a 13th-place finish while Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who was leading the world standings just four races before the finale, finished the race in 14th place to end a dire finish to the season which dropped him to eighth place overall.

Newly crowned world champion Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki) was forced out of the race with mechanical issues, taking Suzuki’s hopes of the triple crown with him, but not before hitting Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) in an aggressive move and dislocating the Italian’s shoulder as he barged up the inside.

Miller’s second place secured the Constructor’s championship for Ducati, while Morbidelli’s third place gave him runner-up spot in the rider’s championship as Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) suffered his worst finish in some time, picking up one point for 15th to secure him third overall. Dovizioso finished fourth overall, tied on points with Pol Espargaro in fifth ahead of Vinales, Miller, Quartararo and Oliveira.

Morbidelli was the top Independent Team rider and Brad Binder won Rookie of the Year despite crashing out of the final race.

Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing) came into the final round of the 2020 Moto2 World Championship 14 points clear of Sam Lowes (0,0 EG Marc VDS). And while the live championship reduced that lead to just two points over Luca Marini (Sky Racing VR46) during thrilling last round, Bastianini crossed the line in fifth place to be crowned the 2020 Moto2 World Champion.

The plaudits went to Aussie Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR Sag) who celebrated his first-ever Grand Prix victory and whose win played a part in the Italian’s title. From pole position, Gardner gained a half-second advantage during the first two sectors of the opening lap. Bastianini got a decent start, but so did his championship rivals Marini and Lowes who both passed the Italian and put their heads down to hunt down Gardner. The duo caught and passed the Aussie, who found great speed in the last half of the race to reclaim the lead from Marini with two laps to go, setting his personal best lap of the race as he went.

Marini hung on for second to take runner-up in the title chase, while an injured Sam Lowes dug deep to take the last podium spot in both the race and the championship. Likewise, Marco Bezzechi (Sky Racing Team VR46) finished fourth for fourth overall.

The Sky racing Team VR46 squad celebrated the Teams Championship, the Constructors honours went to Kalex, while the Rookie of the Year honour went to Aron Canet (Pull & Bear Aspar).

In the Moto3 World Championship, Albert Arenas (Aspar team) left the start line of the final round with an eight-point buffer over Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and his eventual 12th-place finish was enough to seal his title win in what was a thrilling final race of the season. Pole man Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM) celebrated his recently announced promotion to Moto2 for 2021 with the holeshot and a stellar ride to his maiden victory – at one point with an astounding lead of nearly 10 seconds.

Speaking of stellar rides, Leopard Honda rider Dennis Foggia rode through to second place despite having to take two long-lap penalties, while Jeremy Alcoba (Gresini Moto3) scored his maiden Moto3 podium in third ahead of Sergio Garcia (EG 0,0).

Rivacold Snipers Team’s Tony Arbolino, who was third in the standings heading into the race started from the ninth row in 27th and rode a gritty race to fifth place in a bid to keep his title hopes alive, his efforts handing him runner-up spot. Ogura’s eighth place put him equal on points with Arbolino, just four points off the title win, down in third.

Leopard Racing took honours in the Teams Championship, Honda picked up its fourth consecutive Constructors Championship while the Moto3 Rookie of the Year went to Alcoba.