It was the penultimate meeting of the 2020 MotoGP season. On the track in Valencia, the main contenders for the world championship were grouped in the middle of the grid. The promise of a race full of twists and turns!
No miracle for Fabio Quartararo in qualifying, as he started in 11th position just like the previous week on this same Valencia circuit. However, this time he was ahead of his main rivals in the world championship, starting with Joan Mir who was right next to him.
But after two corners, the rider from Nice missed his mark once again in the pack and found himself last in the race. No crash, but hopes of performing well crumbled as his teammate Morbidelli, who started from pole, led the pack.
Having put this new error behind him, Fabio relaunched and went on the attack. After six laps, he was back in the points following the crash of the other Frenchman in the lineup, Johan Zarco. However, the gaps had been established at the front of the race thanks to the impressive pace set by the other Yamaha Petronas rider.
By continuously pushing to catch up with the leaders, Quartararo made another mistake that this time put him out of the race. End of illusions for our “Diablo,” who will not clinch the title this season. Ups and downs throughout the year, ending painfully for the rider from the Maritime Alps, disheartened as he watched other riders overtake him in the championship.
Up front, the battle between his teammate Morbidelli and the Australian Miller finally turned to the Italian’s advantage in a crazy last lap. He thus equaled the number of victories of Fabio Quartararo this season with three wins.
Meanwhile, Joan Mir (23 years old), who delivered a very cautious Grand Prix as he has since the start of the season, finished in 7th place. A position that secured him the 2020 world championship title even before the end of the season! A season that highlighted the importance of consistency.
There is one race left this season for Fabio to get back on track and end his collaboration with the Petronas team on a high note before joining the official Yamaha team.
