Suzuki shines as Alex Rins wins in Aragon

For the first time ever in a premier-class season, MotoGP has had eight different winners in the first 10 races. This time it came in the form of Suzuki Ecstar Team rider Alex Rins, whose top-step in Aragon represented his 50th career podium.

And while Rins took the lead at the end of lap eight, he had to fight off hard-charging rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda) in the last four laps to hang on to the lead. The rookie built on his wet-weather podium last time out in Le Mans, racing through the field from 11th on the grid in a spirited display of Marquez magic.

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Mir magic

The biggest winner of the day, however, was third-placed Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar), who finished the race as the world championship leader. Pole man, and season-long points leader Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) struggled with his medium front-tyre and dropped through the field to finish out of the points in 18th place. That allowed Mir to leap-frog the Frenchman in the points and lead the title race by six points.

Maverick Vinales (Monster Yamaha), who lead the opening stages of the 23-lap race finished fourth to move himself up a place while behind him Taka Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda) pinched fifth place from Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in the last corner. Andrea Dovizioso (Team Ducati) was the top Ducati on race day in seventh ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Aussie Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Avintia Ducati) in 10th.

Fifteen points now separate the top four riders in the championship, with Vinales now just 12 point adrift in third and Dovizioso now in fourth, just 15 points down on Mir. Miller moves back one spot to eighth overall and 39 points adrift.

Lowes flying high

Just as the 2020 Moto2 world championship looked to be settling, title leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) crashed out of the Aragon Grand Prix and tumbled to third in the points chase as British rider Sam Lowes scored his second-consecutive grand prix win.

Both Marco Bezzechi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Fabio Giannantonio (MB Conveyors) crashed out while leading, while Enea Bastianini won the late-race battle for second place between himself and Red Bull KTM’s Jorge Martin. Remy Gardner finished a strong fifth, albeit nearly 15 seconds behind Lowes.

The result puts Bastianini back on top of the ladder on 155 points, just two points clear of Lowes, with Marini just three points further back. Bezzechi is in fourth on 130 with Martin (95) in fifth. Gardner is in eighth place on 72.

Massia claims Moto3

In the Moto3 category, Juame Massia (Leopard Honda) became Honda’s 100th different GP winner when he beat Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) and Raul Fernandez to the line in Aragaon. Albert Arenas’ (Aspar Team) seventh place finish was enough to see him retain the title lead, he’s on 144 points ahead of Ai Ogura whose 14th-place finish gave him two points and he hangs onto second overall with 131 points, just five ahead of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) who finished ninth.

The series stays pit in Aragon for the next round this weekend.