Petronas Yamaha’s pilot Fabio Morbidelli scored second win in 2020 after conquering the TeruelGP this Sunday with great authority. This was the second consecutive round of the MotoGP World Championship at the MotorLand circuit in Aragon, Spain.

The Suzukis of Alex Rins, winner of AragonGP, and Joan Mir have completed the podium behind the Italo-Brazilian rider. This is the second double podium for the Hamamatsu bikes, currently the best machines of the grid. 

Valentino Rossi’s friend has dominated the event right from the moment that poleman, Takaaki Nakagami, crashed out in the opening lap. To top it all off for Honda, second classified Alex Marquez, also had to abandon the race. 

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The man benefitting the most from Honda’s misfortunes has been no other than Mir, the current leader of the standings. To his advantage have also played the poor performances of his rivals for the crown – Maverick Viñales (6th), and Fabio Quartararo (7th). 

The Spaniard is 14, 19 and 25 points ahead of Quartararo, Viñales and Morbidelli respectively. Perhaps the one who has suffered the most today has been Andrea Dovizioso who could only manage a 13th place, a result that brings him 28 points down from the leader. 

Polesitter Takaaki Nakagami crashed out for the first time in 2020 at the start of the race. Brad Binder (KTM) and Jack Miller (Ducati Pramac Racing) also tumbled into the floor at turn 2. 

As a result, Morbidelli was leader after the first lap, followed by Rins and Zarco. Behind the trio came Viñales, eager not to let them out of his sight. Meanwhile, Joan Mir had commenced his glorious comeback from P12 to P5, which he did in a heartbeat. 

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Alex Marquez had also climbed one positions to P9. With 20 laps still left for the chequered flag, Morbidelli set the fastest lap at 0.6 seconds from Rins. Zarco, now third, was 1.2 seconds behind the Suzuki of the Spaniard. Behind him were his partner Mir, Marquez and Viñales, like a pack of wolves on the hunt. 

With 15 laps left, Mir had his sights firmly set on Zarco’s Ducati and, as soon as he had a chance, he made a move on the French pilot and into the podium positions… in case anyone had any doubt that he was going for the gold. 

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Fall of Alex Marquez  

Marquez would also pass Zarco soon after that. The Catalan rider was wild; perhaps too wild as his subsequent fall would later show. By that time Mir, who had benefited from the squabble between the French and Italian pilots, was already 1,3 seconds away.  

A few meters back, Pol Espargaro was rising to sixth place after overtaking Viñales. Maverick’s chances of success at the Teruel GP, and perhaps at the World Championship, were fading by the minute. 

With only ten laps left for the checkered flag, Morbidelly was holding a 0.6 second lead over Rins, who seemed unable to close the gap. The latter in turn had opened a 2.6-second gap over his Suzuki teammate. 

Two seconds away from the podium positions were Zarco (4th), preceding the KTM of Pol (5th) and the Yamahas of Viñales (6th) and Quartararo (7th), the two former title hopefuls. 

The leading three settle into their positions 

It was only then that the race finally settled with the first three places remaining unchanged until the end. Morbidelli crossed the finish line ahead of the Suzukis of Rins and Mir.

The fourth position, however, did change hands with Pol Espargaro overtaking Johann Zarco at the end. Miguel Oliveira’s KTM finished sixth, just ahead of Viñales and Quartararo, the two greatest disappointments of the day together with Dovi (13th).