Marc Márquez has taken his twelfth victory of the year at the Valencia MotoGP this Sunday, handing Honda HRC the team’s world title. At a race marked by Jorge Lorenzo’s farewell to the competition, Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha Petronas), powerless against the 93, and Jack Miller have completed the podium at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste.

The rest of the Spanish pilots haven’t been so lucky. Alex Rins (Suzuki) has finished fifth behind Andrea Dovizioso and before Maverick Viñales, who finishes third in the standings. Rins debutant teammate, Joan Mir has finished seventh.

Two places further back, came the Spanish trio made up of Aleix (9th) and Pol Esgargaró (10th) and Tito Rabat (11th). The last of the local riders and main protagonist of the day was Jorge Lorenzo, who has said his final goodbye to the competition, crossing the finish line in the thirteenth position. 

Following a disappointing season and unable to adapt to the indomitable RC213V, the five-time world champion has decided to retire after a seventeen-year career.

The champion from Cervera, on the other hand, has managed to fulfil all of his initial individual and collective objectives. He has also set some new MotoGP records which will be difficult for anyone to beat anytime soon. Although not one of his greatest achievements, it should be noted that Márquez has taken eighteen podiums out of a total of nineteen possible. A ruthless performance with the Spaniard only missing out on the champagnein United States after suffering a fall.

Quartararo has also himself achieved a different type of triple crown, after winning the best rookie, best pilot and best independent team titles of 2019. Ducati, on the other hand, leaves empty-handed having suffered an unexpected collapse on the last day.

Their misfortune was partly due to Danilo Petrucci’s fall. The team from Borgo Panigale arrived at the closing appointment of the year as leaders of the team standings and have lost both the sceptre and the second place, which now belongs to Yamaha.

Miller is off to a fabulous start  

Aided by the explosive power of his Ducati, Jack Miller made a spectacular exit. So much so that in just a few moments, the Australian pilot from the Pramac Racing team jumped from third to first place. Miller had passed Fabio Quartararo (pole-holder) and Marc Márquez as if they were two beginners. Alex Rins was then ahead of Dovi (4th) and Maverick Viñales (5th). Slightly behind, Marquez was taking it easy.

Back on the lead, Fabio snatched Miller’s first position. His strategy was crystal clear: He wanted to start his escape. And he did so. By the third lap, the #20 of Petronas SRT and rookie of the year was already 0.588 seconds ahead of Miller. Meanwhile, Marc was running in third, oblivious to the battle for fourth between Rins and Dovi that was going on behind.

Marc reacts to Fabio’s escape 

When Marquez realised that Quartararo’s advantage had reached half a second, he stepped up the pace in that relentless way of his. In two laps he had caught up with the Frenchman. But he did not overtake straight away. The predator wanted to study his prey. Shortly after, Marquez decided that the time had come. In the curve 11 of lap 8, he left Fabio behind with a clean and spectacular manoeuvre. After that, he rode on to get his unrivalled triple crown.

He could have accrued a greater advantage over Fabio, but Marc decided it was best to preserve his tyres and to not take any unnecessary risks. Another masterclass from Marquez to put the icing on the cake of a thrilling season.

After the two fittest pilots of the grid arrived Miller in third. Dovi crossed the finished line close behind after beating Rins, fifth. Viñales was sixth and his teammate in Yamaha, Valentino Rossi, eighth.  These results mark the end of a season which has been dominated from beginning to end by Marquez. 

Images: MotoGP.