MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo storms to victory at Jerez as Yamaha lockout the podium

Published: 26 July 2020

Fabio Quartararo won at Jerez again today.

Fabio Quartararo dominated at Jerez for the second weekend in a row to take victory at the Andalucia Grand Prix.

Quartararo led the entire race after launching off the line with Yamaha’s holeshot device. The Frenchman would cross the line +4.495 clear of the field, however at one stage he was over eight seconds clear.

Maverick Vinales battled back through to second place after falling back down to fifth in the early stages. The Spaniard went wide on a couple of occasions and was made to pay by those around him.

Vinales finally managed to get the better of Valentino Rossi with a couple of laps remaining, after struggling to beat the Italian on the brakes on multiple occasions. Rossi completed the podium to make it a Yamaha one-two-three. It’s the first time that’s happened since Phillip Island in 2014.

Takaaki Nakagami continued to lead Honda’s MotoGP project in Marc Marquez’s absence. The LCR Honda rider narrowly missed out on a podium in fourth spot. Joan Mir was fifth, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, who produced another clever performance to take a good handful of points in sixth.

Pol Espargaro was the last KTM remaining in seventh, ahead of Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco. Alex Rins fought through the pain to complete the top 10.

Tito Rabat (11th), Bradley Smith (12th) and Cal Crutchlow (13th) were the final finishers in what was a brutal race for everybody involved. The high temperatures put severe amounts of pressure on tyres and engines throughout the field.

Francesco Bagnaia was second when his Pramac Ducati went up in smoke, whilst Frano Morbidelli was fourth when his Yamaha engine gave up.

Brad Binder suffered a huge highside which will have left him in some pain, whilst Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller, Aleix Espargaro and Iker Lecuona crashed out of the race. Miguel Oliveira was taken out at the first corner after being clipped by Binder.

Today’s result leaves Fabio Quartararo at the top of the championship standings, 10 points ahead of Vinales. Dovizioso stays third, 24 points behind Quartararo.

Moto2: Enea Bastianini takes dominating victory at Jerez

First published: 26 July 2020 by Josh Close

Enea Bastianini dominated the Moto2 race a Jerez to secure his first-ever victory in the intermediate class.

Bastianini took the lead of the race on the opening lap and was unchallenged for the remainder of the race. After managing his pace throughout, Bastianini pulled away from Luca Marini in the final few laps.

Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium on the second Sky Racing Team VR46 team, making it an all-Italian podium in the process – the first time in 22 years. It’s Bezzecchi’s first podium in Moto2.

Sam Lowes finished fourth for the second consecutive weekend. The Brit started on the front row, but a slow start hampered his chances of challenging for the win. Lowes was unable to match the pace of Bezzecchi.

Aron Canet continued his impressive debut campaign in Moto2 to take fifth, ahead of Jorge Martin. Thomas Luthi was seventh, with Xavi Vierge, Stefano Manzi and Marcel Schrotter completing the top 10.

Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima fought through the field to take 11th. It could have been better for the Japanese rider if he hadn’t gone wide at the final corner. Nagashima still looks to be in some pain following his crash yesterday morning.

Jake Dixon’s race came to an end on lap three. The Brit tucked the front at turn six and was unable to get his bike out of the gravel. Kasma Daniel crashed at turn six on the following lap, with his bike also catching fire as a result.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta joined the growing list of retirements when he crashed out at turn two on lap four. Hector Garzo went down at turn nine on the same lap, with Somkiat Chantra joining them at turn 13 on lap six.

Jorge Navarro crashed out of the race at Jerez for the second consecutive week. The Beta Tools Speed Up rider lost the front at turn nine. Former MotoGP rider Hafizh Syahrin crashed out of the race at turn nine on lap 13.

Lorenzo Baldassarri, race winner at Jerez last year, crashed out of the race at turn nine with three laps remaining – a few moments after being out of the seat coming out of the final corner.

Nagashima’s championship lead has been cut to only two points, with Bastianini now second overall. Marini is five points behind the leader in third spot.

Moto3: Tatsuki Suzuki wins the Andalucia Grand Prix

First published: 26 July 2020 by Josh Close

It was third time lucky for Tatsuki Suzuki in 2020 as he converted pole position into a victory in the Andalucia Grand Prix at Jerez.

Suzuki becomes the first polesitter at Jerez in the lightweight class to win the race since Marco Simoncelli in 2005. A fitting result considering that Suzuki rides for Paolo Simoncelli’s SIC58 Squadra Corse team.

The Japanese rider led the majority of the race and fought back immediately whenever he was overtaken. Suzuki was visibly struggling for grip in the closing stages of the race.

John McPhee finished second after a cautious final lap. Like last week, the Scot used his experience to make steady progress through the order and keep his tyres in a healthy condition. It’s a huge 20 points for McPhee after championship leader Albert Arenas crashed out of the race. Ai Agura, previously second in the standings, also retired from the race.

Arenas took a huge tumble at turn 11 on lap 16. It was a fast crash initially, but Arenas then got caught up with his bike in the gravel, which catapulted him into the air. The winner of the first two races was visibly in pain and was stretchered away from the scene.

Meanwhile, Agura was hit by Jaume Masia at turn nine on lap eighth. Agura remounted but would return to the garage a few laps later.

Celestino Vietti completed the podium for SKY Racing Team VR46. Jeremy Alcoba crossed the line in fourth but was demoted down to seventh after failing to take his long lap penalty for exceeding track limits.

That promoted Darryn Binder to fourth spot after another astonishing fight back through the field. The South African rider started the race from 25th on the grid and was already up to eighth after four laps.

Gabriel Rodrigo secured fifth ahead of Raul Fernandez in sixth. Sergio Garcia finished in eighth, with Ryusei Yamanaka and Tony Arbolino completing the top 10.

Ayumu Sasaki and Andrea Migno went down at turn one on the eighth lap. Migno attempted to dive down the inside but clipped Sasaki. Migno was able to remount but ended the race down in 22nd.

Filip Salac also returned to the garage on lap 13 to retire with a problem. With only a few laps remaining Deniz Oncu crashed out at turn five. The Turkish rider, celebrating his 17th birthday, looked to be in some discomfort as he was escorted away from his machine.

Arenas remains in the championship lead after the Andalucia Grand Prix, but he now only has a six-point advantage over Suzuki. McPhee remains in third, however he’s now only 10 points behind the championship leader.

Moto2: Marco Bezzecchi secures his maiden Moto2 pole position at Jerez

First published: 25 July 2020 by Josh Close

Marco Bezzecchi will start from pole position for the first time in Moto2 at tomorrow’s Andalucia Grand Prix.

The Italian overcame the challenge of Sam Lowes by just +0.037, posting the fastest lap-time of 1:41.728. The entire qualifying session was really tight, with the top 16 riders separated by only +0.871.

Lowes has put himself in a strong position heading into tomorrow’s race, where he’ll be looking to improve on last Sunday’s fourth position. Bezzecchi and Lowes are joined on the front row by Enea Bastianini.

Jorge Navarro and last weekend’s race winner Luca Marini qualified in fourth and fifth respectively, with Jorge Martin securing sixth spot.

Aron Canet continued to impress in his rookie Moto2 campaign in seventh, with Nicolo Bulega, Thomas Luthi and Marcel Schrotter completing the top 10. Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima will start down in 15th after a difficult Saturday.

Jake Dixon will start tomorrow’s race down in 21st place after being unable to match last weekend’s qualifying performance.

MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo clinches pole at Jerez after Maverick Vinales sees lap cancelled

First published: 25 July 2020 by Josh Close

Fabio Quartararo secured his second consecutive pole position at Jerez after Maverick Vinales’ final lap was cancelled.

Vinales posted the quickest time of 1:36.907 on his final flying lap, but the factory Yamaha had exceeded track limits by the smallest or margins. Instead, Quartararo’s time of 1:37.007 was enough for top spot.

Vinales will start alongside the Frenchman in second spot, with Francesco Bagnaia completing the front row after another impressive performance. This is the Pramac Ducati rider’s best qualifying result in the premier class.

Valentino Rossi leads the second row in fourth spot, alongside Miguel Oliveira on the Tech3 KTM machine. Franco Morbidelli makes it four Yamaha riders inside the top six.

Jack Miller qualifies seventh ahead of an impressive Takaaki Nakagami. The Japanese rider topped FP4 and could have been higher up the grid tomorrow if he hadn’t gone wide at the final turn.

Brad Binder and Joan Mir complete the top 10, with Danilo Petrucci in 11th. Pol Espargaro starts down in 12th after suffering from a heavy crash in Q2.

Cal Crutchlow put in a brave performance and narrowly missed out on Q2. The Brit will start tomorrow’s race 13th. It was a poor day for Andrea Dovizioso, with the Ducati rider only managing 14th.

Marc Marquez will not take part in tomorrow’s race despite his best efforts today. The reigning champion completed an out lap in Q1 before returning to the garage.

Moto3: Tatsuki Suzuki secures third consecutive pole in 2020 at Jerez

First published: 25 July 2020 by Josh Close

Tatsuki Suzuki is quickly becoming the champion of qualifying in Moto3 after clinching his third consecutive pole position at the Andalucia Grand Prix.

The SIC58 Squadra Corse rider went quickest the dying seconds of the session, posting a lap-time of 1:45.410. That was +0.285 quicker than fellow Japanese rider Ai Ogura in second.

Gabriel Rodrigo completes the front row on the Kömmerling Gresini Moto3 machine. Raul Fernandez will start fourth after his final flying lap was ruled out for exceeding track limits.

Tony Arbolino qualified fifth ahead of championship leader Albert Arenas, with Jeremy Alcoba in seventh spot. Despite showing great pace throughout free practice, John McPhee could only manage eighth. The Scot was +0.651 off the polesitter’s time. Celestino Vietti and Jaume Masia complete the top 10.

Andrea Migno crashed out of the session at turn 11 in closing stages, ruining his chances of a positive qualifying position. The Sky Racing Team VR46 rider will start tomorrow’s race from 18th on the grid.

Moto2: Marco Bezzecchi tops day one at Jerez as Sky Racing Team VR46 dominate

First published: 24 July 2020 by Josh Close

Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini ensured that it was a perfect start to the Andalucia Grand Prix for Sky Racing Team VR46 by topping one practice session each.

Bezzecchi was fastest in FP1 with a lap-time of 1:41.525 and was therefore quickest overall due to the increase in temperature this afternoon. Marini topped that hotter FP2 session with a 1:42.992, just ahead of his teammate. Marini ends the day seventh overall but was three tenths quicker in FP2 compared to last week’s session.

Bezzecchi’s day wasn’t completely positive. The Italian crashed at turn one and his bike set on fire as a result. Fortunetely, he didn’t seem to cause any extra damage to his injured ankle.

On the overall standings, championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima ends the day in second spot. Jorge Navarro completes the top three on the Beta Tools Speed Up machine.

Lorenzo Baldassarri and Nicolo Bulega ended the day in fourth and fifth repectively, with Sam Lowes slightly behind in sixth. The Brit ends day one +0.225 off the leader’s pace.

Jorge Martin, last week’s polesitter, sits in eighth spot after the opening day, whilst Stefano Manzi and Aron Canet complete the top 10.

Jake Dixon currently finds himself in 15th spot overall on the Petronas Sprinta Racing machine. He’ll be hoping to improve tomorrow morning and qualify for Q2 for the second consecutive weekend.

MotoGP: Maverick Vinales ends day one on top at Jerez

First published: 24 July 2020 by Josh Close

Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi secured a Monster Energy Yamaha one-two on the opening day of action at Jerez.

The duo topped he combined timesheets, due to the increase in temperature leading to a slower FP2 session this afternoon. FP2 was topped by Takaaki Nakagami on the LCR Honda, with Johann Zarco and Pol Espargaro completing the top three.

Overall, Vinales is quickest with a 1:37.063, +0.142s quicker than his teammate. Brad Binder impressed yet again to complete the top three for KTM.

Franco Morbidelli ends the first day fourth overall after showing strong race pace this afternoon. Pol Espargaro is fifth overall, ahead of fellow KTM rider Miguel Oliveira. Three KTMs inside the top six further showcases their improvement this year.

Jack Miller is the leading Ducati rider overall in seventh spot, ahead of Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia. Andrea Dovizioso completes the top 10 for Ducati.

Fabio Quartararo, last week’s race winner, is only 14th as it stands after a quiet FP1 session. The Frenchman was sixth in the second practice session.

Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow competed in both free practice sessions, despite suffering from their respective injuries. Both riders improved on their lap-times this afternoon, with Crutchlow completing 18 laps in FP2 to end the day 20th overall. Rins completed 16 laps this afternoon, taking 1.1s off his lap-time to finish 21st.

Marc Marquez sat today’s sessions out but will make his sensational return tomorrow morning, just four days after undergoing surgery for his broken arm.

Moto3: John McPhee tops FP2 but Raul Fernandez leads overall at Jerez

First published: 24 July 2020 by Josh Close

John McPhee topped the second free practice of the day in Moto3 but Raul Fernandez ends the opening day on top overall.

The hotter conditions in this afternoon’s session led to the majority of field being unable to improve on their FP1 lap-times. Nevertheless, McPhee will be pleased to have topped FP2, with the hot conditions being similar to those that the riders will experience on Sunday.

His time of 1:46.560 was + quicker than Andrea Migno, whilst championship leader Albert Arenas completed the top three this afternoon. Arenas suffered from mechanical problems this morning, ending FP1 down in 14th.

Overall, Fernandez leads the way with his fastest lap-time of 1:45.896. Tatsuki Suzuki and Filip Salac complete the top three.

Gabriel Rodrigo ends the day fourth overall, ahead of Sky Racing Team VR46’s Andrea Migno in fifth and Carlos Tatay. Jeremy Alcoba was seventh, with Tony Arbolino, McPhee and Stefano Nepa completing the top 10.