The 2020 MotoGP™ World Championship couldn’t be more unpredictable. After a jaw-dropping BMW M Grand Prix of Styria, the overall standings are wide open with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) still leading the way – just.
The double Jerez race winner finished P13 in Styria, seeing his advantage sliced to just three points as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took the flag in P5. Interestingly, the Frenchman’s 70 points are the lowest a Championship leader has possessed in the MotoGP™ era after five races, the first time it’s been this low since MotoGP™ Legend Nicky Hayden led the standings after the opening five races in 2006.
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It’s a sign of just how competitive MotoGP™ is in 2020. We’ve had 11 different podium finishers so far, and four winners in five races after Miguel Oliveira’s (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) historic feat in Styria. In Quartararo and Oliveira, three out of the five races in 2020 have been won by Independent Team riders – and that number is surely going to grow with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in fine form.
The 900th premier class race certainly didn’t let us down. It was a race that saw the Championship close right up with second place finisher Miller now sitting just 14 adrift of Quartararo. Rookie sensation Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is fourth, 21 points adrift, with a mere six points separating the South African and Oliveira in ninth. 25 points – a race win total – covers Quartararo down to seventh place Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Moreover, five of the six manufacturers are inside the top eight in the standings, split by 26 points – Yamaha, Ducati, KTM, Honda and Suzuki. The first three have all won this season.
2020 is bonkers. In a phenomenal way. Predicting the outcome of each race is an impossible task, let alone trying to figure out who is going to claim title glory this year. So many riders are showing signs that they’re capable of winning – or have already proved that they can win.
Who dares wins? A question that will be answered later in the year. For now, let’s enjoy the stunning spectacle on track and see what twists are in store at Misano and beyond.
MotoGP™ Championship top 10 standings after five races:
1. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) – 70
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – 67
3. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) – 56
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 49
5. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – 48
6. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) – 46
7. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – 45
8. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – 44
9. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) – 43
10. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 35