Rennie Scaysbrook | November 10, 2020
2020 European MotoGP Final News
Suzuki’s dream day in the sun
Sunday was Suzuki’s day. The Hamamatsu factory claimed its first premier class one-two since the end of 1982, when Marco Luchinelli and Randy Mamola finished first and second. Its riders now sit first and third overall, as well as taking a decisive step in the Constructors’ and Teams’ Championships. Suzuki leads the former by seven points, the latter by 82.
Rins’ and Mir’s performances, coupled with the management of Davide Brivio, have ensured the Suzuki is now the best bike on the grid.
Here was definitive proof the GSX-RR is the grid’s standout machine. “The bike has changed a lot,” Rins said of how the GSX-RR has developed over the past four seasons. “In 2017 we took a bad engine option. Then we changed the engine, we changed the chassis, we changed a lot of things like the fairing. They are really doing a good job, altogether with our comments, with our feedback to improve the bike.”For Valentino Rossi, Suzuki’s success lies in its ability to successfully link the requests of its riders and test teams to the factory in Japan. “For me, Suzuki work very well because I think (Davide) Brivio made a fantastic job because he’s able to fuse the work from Japan with the very strong work in Italy. Especially, he’s able to convince the Japanese to work together with the Europeans and the Italians, and he makes a very strong team.”
Dovizioso poised for a year off
Having sensationally announced his planned departure from Ducati at the Austrian Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso is set to shock onlookers once more by taking a sabbatical from the sport at the end of 2020.
The Italian has been worn down by the failings of the previous two seasons and has cut a dejected figure in recent months, as his championship challenge has stuttered while both he and Ducati have failed to adapt to Michelin’s 2020 rear tire.
Have we seen the last of Andrea Dovizioso?
Dovizioso had talks with Honda and Yamaha regarding taking the reins of their test teams for 2021. Aprilia was also keen to recruit him for the second seat in its squad should Andrea Iannone’s 18-month ban by the FIM be upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But Dovizioso has signaled he is ready to turn down all of those offers in favour of taking a year off with the intention of returning in 2022. Dovizioso is a motocross fanatic and has intentions of racing competitively in that discipline.
Crutchlow signs with Yamaha’s test team
Aprilia’s hunt has become more complicated as Cal Crutchlow sensationally decided against joining the Noale factory in 2021. Instead he will become Yamaha’s MotoGP test rider in a role that will see him develop the M1 alongside making a number of potential wildcard appearances.
Crutchlow will return to the manufacturer he won the WorldSSP with all those years ago in Yamaha for next year.
Crutchlow joined MotoGP with Yamaha in 2011 and enjoyed two successful years with the Tech 3 team in 2012 and ’13, a relationship that brought about six podiums and two pole positions. After learning of Honda’s decision to replace him at LCR with Alex Marquez for 2021, the 35-year old had been tipped to join Aprilia.
But the uncompetitive nature of the RS-GP, its continued reliability issues and the Noale factory’s poor treatment of other British riders – Sam Lowes, Scott Redding and Bradley Smith – in the past four years has seen him accept Yamaha’s offer.
2020 European MotoGP Results
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is now a MotoGP race winner. The Suzuki rider was perfect in the Gran Premio de Europa to make his first visit to the top step in the premier class, putting one hand on the crown in the process as he stretches his advantage in the Championship to 37 points. Mir is also the ninth different premier class winner of the year, seeing 2020 equal the record of most winners in a season, and the number 36 sets a new record as the fifth different maiden winner this year. With teammate Alex Rins following him home in second, the day also marked the first Suzuki 1-2 since 1982 and the Hamamatsu factory now leads in the fight for the riders’, constructors’ and teams’ Championships. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) kept Rins honest as the number 44 took third though, back on the podium at the scene of both his and KTM’s first premier class rostrum finish in 2018.
(L-R) Alex Rins, Joan Mir, and Pol Espargaro celebrate on the podium. Photo: MotoGP
It was close as the premier class riders roared away from the line, with both Rins and Pol Espargaro getting away well from the front row but the KTM ultimately taking the holeshot. Mir got away well from fifth too and was up to P4, just behind Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). But not long after that, eyes would turn to some serious Lap 1 Championship drama.
Heading into Turn 8 at the end of the back straight, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was suddenly down and out of contention, the Frenchman reacting to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) alongside him as the two both slid into the gravel. No contact was made and pure bad luck reigned, but it was monumental for the Championship. Luckily for Quartararo, he was able to pick the bike up and get running again but El Diablo re-joined behind Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who had started from pitlane due to exceeding his engine allocation. Early doors, it was advantage Mir near the front as some of his key rivals scrabbled to make up lost ground.
Pol Espargaro led the first one and a half laps but it didn’t take long for Rins to pounce at Turn 11, the Suzuki slotting through to take the lead and a couple of laps later, Mir – who had passed Nakagami on the opening lap – copy and pasted his teammate’s move on KTM as the Hamamatsu factory made it formation flying at the front. Oliveira was now also past Nakagami as two KTMs chased the Suzukis, before more drama hit further back – once again for Yamaha.
On Lap 5, the returning Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was shown stopped on track at Turn 5, the Doctor’s comeback from Covid-19 sadly over after just a handful of laps. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) then crashed unhurt not long after, bumping Viñales up to 15th and Quartararo on the verge of the points. How much more progress could they make?
Meanwhile, the front group remained in a tense as-you-were. An intriguing game of chess was beginning as Rins led teammate Mir, with Pol Espargaro and Oliveira not far off, and Nakagami and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) still in fairly close pursuit to boot. After a slow start, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was regrouping and chasing Zarco down as well, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) going the opposite way as the Italian was shuffled back.
With 15 to go, there remained nothing to choose between the two Suzukis in the lead. Lap after lap, Rins and Mir were exchanging 1:32.1s. A few laps later, Mir was visibly closer and homing in, but a move wasn’t coming yet as the gameplan seemed to hint towards patience. But that was assuming it would all come down to tactics, and instead, it was about to come down to a small but costly mistake for the man in the lead.
Rins, heading through Turn 11 with 11 to go, was ever-so-slightly wide – and a door ajar will soon become a door opened in MotoGP. Mir needed no second invitation, sweeping through to take over at the front and face down 10 laps with a lot at stake. Next time around, the Mayorcan set the fastest lap. By seven to go, his lead had crept to over half a second.
Two laps later, Mir was over a second clear it that made it clear: a mistake was likely the only thing that was going to stop the Mayorcan finally taking to that top step. Rins was still getting hounded by an impressive Pol Espargaro, and Nakagami was lurking just behind with some great late-race pace as well. Suzuki Team Manager Davide Brivio could barely watch, but it all came down to this: one more lap.
With 1.4 seconds in his pocket, just 4km stood between Mir and a historic maiden MotoGP win, as well as a whole load of Championship advantage. And the number 36 held firm, keeping everything calm and collected to the line to finally make it a reality: his first premier class win, taken in some style. Monkey off back, one hand on crown and debate silenced, all he needs next time out is a podium – regardless of anyone else’s results.
Rins leading Suzuki teammate and eventual winner Mir, who now enjoys a comfortable points lead with two rounds to go.
Rins held off Espargaro by six tenths in the end, enough to create that milestone Suzuki 1-2 and moving into third overall – equal on points with Quartararo. Another impressive podium for KTM was also Pol Espargaro’s fourth rostrum of 2020, putting him just nine points down on Dovizioso in the Championship.
Nakagami banished the Aragon demons with a great ride to P4, less than a second away from a first premier class podium and top Independent Team rider to earn a trip to parc ferme. Oliveira slipped back into the grasp of Miller but the Portuguese rider just got the better of the Australian for P5, relegating the Queenslander to sixth.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, took a superb P7 despite a long-lap penalty served for his Aragon mistake, and the South African regains a points advantage in the battle for Rookie of the Year after Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) crashed out. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) lost more ground in the title race after a P8 finish, but the Italian beat fellow Ducati rider Zarco by 0.7 seconds after the Frenchman’s pace dropped off in the latter stages. Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci completed the top ten, the Italian gaining an impressive eight places.
Morbidelli’s Sunday was a contrasting one to Teruel. A difficult day and P11 for the Italian sees him drop to 45 points behind Mir in the title race after a tough weekend on the whole for Yamaha. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) crossed the line 12th after another good ride from the HRC test rider, just ahead of Viñales who, despite his pitlane start, was just over a second behind the German.
Quartararo took the flag in P14, his opening lap crash putting a serious dent in his title chances. He remains second overall, however, and looking to hit back against Rins too. There are still 50 points in play…
Tito Rabat (Esponsorama Racing), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) crashed out, riders ok.
And so the curtains come down for another week, with another chapter safely filed in the annals of history. Valencia will host again as the paddock returns to action next weekend, and everything will now be on the line as the first match point appears on the horizon. Nine winners, five first-timers, and one of them on the roll of his life. Can Mir make it a coronation? With a 37-point safety net, all he needs is a podium.
In Moto2, Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi bounced back in style after a double DNF at MotorLand Aragon by taking a second career Moto2 victory at the Gran Premio de Europa. It was a race filled with drama, with Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) locking out the podium but many a headline focused on the title fight: Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) now leads the World Championship once again, the Italian fighting through to fourth as former points leader Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out.
In Moto3, Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put in a stunner to take the lead early in the Gran Premio de Europa and then pull away, staying calm and collected to take to the top step for the first time in Grand Prix racing. Behind him, a three-way battle royale raged on the final lap, with 2019 Valencia GP winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) coming out on top to take second ahead of Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). The podium for Ogura boosts him up to within three points of the Championship lead. CN
Raul Fernandez ran off with his first career win in Moto3.
2020 FIM MotoGP Championship
Gran Premio de Europ
Valencia, Spain
RESULTS (November 8, 2020)
MotoGP
| 1. |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
| 2. |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
| 3. |
Pol Espargaro |
(KTM) |
| 4. |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
| 5. |
Miguel Oliveira |
(KTM) |
| 6. |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
| 7. |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
| 8. |
Andrea Dovizioso |
(Duc) |
| 9. |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
| 10. |
Danilo Petrucci |
(Duc) |
Moto2
| 1. |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Kal) |
| 2. |
Jorge Martin |
(Kal) |
| 3. |
Remy Gardner |
(Kal) |
| 4. |
Enea Bastianini |
(Kal) |
| 5. |
Lorenzo Baldassarri |
(Kal) |
| 6. |
Luca Marini |
(Kal) |
| 7. |
Hector Garzo |
(Kal) |
| 8. |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Kal) |
| 9. |
Xavi Vierge |
(Kal) |
| 10. |
Jorge Navarro |
(S-U) |
Moto3
| 1. |
Raul Fernandez |
(KTM) |
| 2. |
Sergio Garcia |
(Hon) |
| 3. |
Ai Ogura |
(Hon) |
| 4. |
Tony Arbolino |
(Hon) |
| 5. |
Darryn Binder |
(KTM) |
| 6. |
Carlos Tatay |
(KTM) |
| 7. |
Stefano Nepa |
(KTM) |
| 8. |
Jeremy Alcoba |
(Hon) |
| 9. |
Filip Salac |
(Hon) |
| 10. |
Ayumu Sasaki |
(KTM) |
2020 European MotoGP Saturday News
Marini, Bastianini confirmed at Esponsorama Ducati
After weeks of negotiating, it was confirmed on Saturday Luca Marini will step up to MotoGP in 2021 with Esponsorama Ducati, where he will compete alongside current Moto2 challenger Enea Bastianini.
Interestingly, Marini will ride in the colors of his current Sky Racing VR46 team next year and will take a number of his current Moto2 crew with him to the premier class, where he will race against half-brother Valentino Rossi aboard a Ducati Desmosedici GP19.
Marini will join brother Rossi in MotoGP next year.
It is believed Sky Racing VR46 is paying Esponsorama racing somewhere in the region of 1.5 million Euros to place Marini in the squad, leaving Tito Rabat (who had a contract for 2021) out in the cold. Because of this, Sky Racing VR46 will withdraw its entry from the Moto3 class. Moto3 rider Celestino Vietti will take Marini’s seat in the Moto2 team next year.
“For those who have been part of this project since 2014, MotoGP has always been a dream,” said Sky Racing VR46 Team Boss Pablo Nieto. “After being alongside Bagnaia in his path to the top class in 2019, we are about to watch him compete in 2021 in the colors of an official factory while reaching a similar goal with Marini and the team.”
Lorenzo out of Yamaha, linked to Aprilia
The fact five-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo wasn’t selected to replace Valentino Rossi in Aragon was telling. But the fact Garrett Gerloff got the nod to substitute for the returning Italian on the Friday at Valencia was confirmation that the Majorcan is on his way out of Yamaha’s test team.
Lorenzo may join the team that gave him his Grand Prix berth in Aprilia next year.
Unlikely links placed Lorenzo in Aprilia’s test team for 2021 after the news that the Noale factory’s current test rider Bradley Smith – deputizing for Andrea Iannone as a full-time rider all season – had been replaced by Lorenzo Savadori for the final three races of this year.
But Aleix Espargaro feels Lorenzo’s recent showing at a test in Portimao, when he was over 3s off the fastest pace, suggested he was not the right man to lead Aprilia’s test team. “With Lorenzo, the level is beyond doubt. He’s one of the best riders of the last 20 years. Very, very fast rider. But I don’t know if his commitment, if his desire, if he’s physically ready. I’m not really sure. He’s the only one that knows that.
“Aprilia is trying hard to find fast riders, the market is not easy but the good thing is that Aprilia management is working very hard I know to try to help me, to try to make the team stronger.”
Mir and perspective
On a day in which two of his title contenders either waved the white flag or spoke of desperation, Joan Mir was the epitome of cool. Maverick Viñales all but conceded the title after a lackluster showing in qualifying, stating, “Marc (Marquez) is not here so it was a perfect situation to win the title. But we have lost 2017 and 2020 by the same mistakes.”
Joan Mir: cool as a cucumber.
Having failed to find any kind of comfort in the wet conditions, Fabio Quartararo vowed to go all in on Sunday from the fourth row of the grid. “I’m in the mood to be aggressive tomorrow, I will be. If I crash or something it’ll be for a good reason.”
All the while title leader Mir appeared composed. Asked about pressure, he replied: “Pressure? Pressure is what is happening with Covid or with people who can’t pay rent. I’m competing for a MotoGP title. If it goes well, it goes well. If it doesn’t end well, then that’s also fine for me. There are many people having a worse time.”
2020 European MotoGP Results—Saturday
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro picked up a phenomenal second pole position of 2020 after mastering the wet conditions in Q2 at the Gran Premio de Europa, the Spaniard slamming in a late 1:40.434 to head a front row covered by less than a tenth. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) starts second as the top title challenger, just 0.041 back, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) claiming the final front row slot despite a late crash. The grid is a fascinating one ahead of lights out, with Championship challengers scattered throughout and, of course, Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also starting from pitlane due to exceeding his engine allocation.
Pol nailed pole, now time to bank that first win.
2020 European MotoGP Results—Qualifying
| 1 |
Pol Espargaro |
(KTM) |
1:40.434 |
| 2 |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
+ 0.041 |
| 3 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 0.096 |
| 4 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 0.143 |
| 5 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 0.270 |
| 6 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.459 |
| 7 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 0.459 |
| 8 |
Miguel Oliveira |
(KTM) |
+ 0.894 |
| 9 |
Franco Morbidelli |
(Yam) |
+ 1.123 |
| 10 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 1.347 |
Moto2
On a drying Circuit Ricardo Tormo that saw the Moto2™ riders attack Q2 with slick tires, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) produced the goods to bag his first pole position of the season. The Spaniard’s last lap was good enough to see him beat Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) by just under two tenths, with Championship leader Sam Lowes a further 0.002 back in P3. The British rider’s main title rival Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) will start from 15th.
Vierge will now try to convert for his first GP win.
2020 European Moto2 Results—Qualifying
| 1 |
Xavi Vierge |
(Kal) |
1:38.936 |
| 2 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+ 0.181 |
| 3 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 0.183 |
| 4 |
Remy Gardner |
(Kal) |
+ 0.439 |
| 5 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Kal) |
+ 0.472 |
| 6 |
Jorge Martin |
(Kal) |
+ 0.520 |
| 7 |
Luca Marini |
(Kal) |
+ 1.328 |
| 8 |
Lorenzo Baldassarri |
(Kal) |
+ 1.674 |
| 9 |
Hector Garzo |
(Kal) |
+ 2.032 |
| 10 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Kal) |
+ 2.545 |
Gerloff in the groove
Valentino Rossi was back at Valencia despite testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. However subsequent tests on Wednesday and Friday came back negative, meaning the 41-year old could return to the track on Saturday.
In his place, American Garrett Gerloff rode as Yamaha’s substitute rider on Friday. The conditions were by no means easy: the World Superbike star had a wet FP1 session and a damp but drying FP2 to experience a MotoGP machine for the first time. He ended the day 19th fastest, just 1.5s off first place.
Gerloff opened many influential eyes with his Friday performance at Valencia.
“I’m still smiling,” Gerloff exclaimed on Friday evening. “It feels somewhat like the R1 I have been riding all year but then everything was another step. It was so nice to feel the power, how fast the bike shifts, how good the tyres are, the brakes.
“In the back of my mind I was thinking ‘alright, this bike is expensive and it’s not mine, so I should probably take care of it’. And then I didn’t realise that Valentino was in the pits during the second session, and so when I came in after the session ended he was there. One of the first things he said was ‘Oh man good job and thanks for taking care of my bike!’”
Yamaha Engine Madness
Yamaha’s three title contenders breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday evening after the FIM decided against docking them points in light of an investigation into the engines the factory used at the Spanish Grand Prix in July.
Instead the Iwata factory was docked 50 points from the Constructor’s Championship – double what it scored that weekend – and both Petronas SRT (37 points) and Monster Energy Yamaha (20) lost the points they scored in the Team’s Championship that weekend (and at the Styrian Grand Prix, where Franco Morbidelli also used an engine he had fitted at Jerez).
What appears to be the case is between the start of the season in March, when engine designs are checked and approved by Technical Director Danny Aldridge, and July, the factory changed the material of the valves in all four riders’ engines, which explicitly goes against the rules. All engines are sealed at round one and any breaking of the seals or subsequent internal changes are forbidden.
Yamaha has been slammed for its engine issues.
Somewhat ironically, they engines used that weekend were withdrawn from all four riders’ season allocation due to reliability concerns. Maverick Viñales’ bike blew up in practice and Valentino Rossi’s in the race. It then appears the factory reverted to its original design (with original valves) after Jerez, due to these reliability concerns.
This first came to light prior to the Austrian GP, when Yamaha had submitted a request to MotoGP Technical Director Danny Aldridge to allow the Jerez engines to be unsealed and have the valves replaced so the faulty engines could be used in the remainder of the season. Yet such a request has to be approved unanimously by the members of the MSMA. When the MSMA requested more details of the change, Yamaha withdrew its application, knowing its error.
The official statement from the FIM stated, “Yamaha Motor Company failed to respect the protocol which requires them to obtain unanimous approval from MSMA for technical changes.” Such approval is common protocol for the six MotoGP manufacturers.
A Yamaha statement read, “Yamaha omitted to give prior notification to and gain approval from the MSMA for the use of valves by two manufacturers. Yamaha would like to confirm there was no malintent in using the valves of two different suppliers that were manufactured according to one common design specification.”
In light of this serious breaking of the rules, a number of riders were critical of the FIM’s decision not to dock the Yamaha contenders points. “It’s clear they have cheated,” said Alex Marquez. Jack Miller also mentioned, “If a rider is caught doping, both the rider and the team get the points taken away from them. And this is cheating. What they have done is cheating, and to not penalise the rider doesn’t make any sense.”
Vinales’ Friday to forget
Despite avoiding a points deduction, Maverick Viñales had a Friday to forget. First, he began using his sixth engine of the year (manufacturers without concessions can use five per rider) at the European Grand Prix, an infringement that immediately is punished with a pitlane start for the rider in question.
Such were the issues regarding the reliability of three of his Yamaha’s engines used at the Spanish Grand Prix, Viñales has been reduced to using two motors in the nine subsequent races (with the exception of the Friday and Saturday at the Styrian Grand Prix).
It wasn’t a good day for Vinales on Friday.
He has since been running with less revs and attempting to limit the mileage. But at Valencia it was too much. A sixth engine was summoned. “We managed the best we can because we made the whole season until now with two engines. The other engine was broken a little bit and it was not safe to run with the third engine because maybe I can get oil on the track.
“Every year we are throwing away the opportunity to win the title by mistakes. So for sure my feeling is very bad, but I have a perfect situation at home, I have a perfect life, I don’t want to be angry anymore.”
It didn’t end there. Viñales’ data technician was notified he had tested positive for Covid-19 during Friday’s running, leaving the team scampering for fresh tests. “I made a PCR this morning, after FP1, so we will see. What can happen more in one weekend? I don’t know!”
2020 European MotoGP Results—Friday
MotoGP
Fastest in the morning and fastest in the afternoon for MotoGP: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) is the master of Day 1 at the Gran Premio de Europa. A wet morning followed by a drying Circuit Ricardo Tormo saw the Australian set a best time of a 1:32.528 to take to the top, 0.092 ahead of second fastest Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was two tenths off Miller in FP2 to take third, fastest of the top six in the title fight. Friday also saw all six manufacturers represented in the top six, and the top four all hailed from Independent Teams.
Miller kept his powder dry for the fastest Friday time.
Some drama hit for title challenger Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) though. The Spaniard will have to start the race from pitlane on Sunday, five seconds after the green light at pit exit, for an engine allocation infringement.
2020 European MotoGP Results—Friday Combined
| 1 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
1:32.528 |
| 2 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.092 |
| 3 |
Franco Morbidelli |
(Yam) |
+ 0.276 |
| 4 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 0.338 |
| 5 |
Pol Espargaro |
(KTM) |
+ 0.424 |
| 6 |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
+ 0.629 |
| 7 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 0.731 |
| 8 |
Andrea Dovizioso |
(Duc) |
+ 0.764 |
| 9 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.809 |
| 10 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 0.877 |
Moto2
Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) left it late but turned the tables on Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) by the end of play on Day 1 in Valencia, the ‘Beast’ denying key rival and Championship leader Lowes by just 0.057. Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) was third fastest, the American making his presence felt at the top in the afternoon. Wet in the morning and dry – ish – in the afternoon, laptimes tumbled but remained far from those set in ideal conditions.
Bastianini staked his claim in Moto2 with the Friday fastest.
2020 European Moto2 Results—Friday Combined
| 1 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Kal) |
1:36.804 |
| 2 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 0.057 |
| 3 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+ 0.152 |
| 4 |
Lorenzo Baldassarri |
(Kal) |
+ 0.161 |
| 5 |
F. Di Giannantonio |
(Spe) |
+ 0.262 |
| 6 |
Remy Gardner |
(Kal) |
+ 0.341 |
| 7 |
Jorge Martin |
(Kal) |
+ 0.342 |
| 8 |
Simone Corsi |
(MVA) |
+ 0.401 |
| 9 |
Hector Garzo |
(Kal) |
+ 0.437 |
| 10 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Kal) |
+ 0.443 |
Moto3
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) was fastest on Friday at the Gran Premio de Europa, the Italian therefore also the top title challenger on the timesheets after a day of tricky conditions. Vietti led 2019 Valencia GP winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) by a couple of tenths, with Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) in hot pursuit in third.
Vietti ended Friday P1 in Moto3.
Championship leader Albert Arenas (Valresa Aspar Team Moto3) ended the day down in P18, with closest rival Ai Ogura only a couple of places ahead of him. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), meanwhile, had a day of two halves and ends up outside the top twenty overall.
2020 European Moto2 Results—Friday Combined
| 1 |
Celestino Vietti |
(KTM) |
1:45.356 |
| 2 |
Sergio Garcia |
(Hon) |
+ 0.201 |
| 3 |
Romano Fenati |
(Hus) |
+ 0.219 |
| 4 |
Raul Fernandez |
(KTM) |
+ 0.494 |
| 5 |
Filip Salac |
(KTM) |
+ 0.516 |
| 6 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Hon) |
+ 0.628 |
| 7 |
Carlos Tatay |
(KTM) |
+ 1.214 |
| 8 |
Andrea Migno |
(KTM) |
+ 1.218 |
| 9 |
Kaito Toba |
(KTM) |
+ 1.280 |
| 10 |
John McPhee |
(Hon) |
+ 1.404 |
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