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      Yamaha vs Marc Marquez: the Sunday showdown in Jerez

      motogp.com
      https://www.motogp.com/id/news/2020/07/18/yamaha-peut-elle-defier-marquez-a-jerez/160798

      The Honda rider had to settle for P3 in Q2 behind Quartararo and Viñales as the trio look set to go head-to-head at the Spanish Grand Prix

      It was a qualifying battle for the ages at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. Fabio Quartararo’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) seventh in the premier class was hard earned as he and eventual third-place finisher Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) exchanged P1 on a number of occasions, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) joining in on the action too.

      All three took turns at leading the way in MotoGP™ qualifying, but it’s Sunday that counts most. It seems the trio have an edge on the rest when checking the FP2 long runs the riders did in the soaring Andalusian temperatures, with the reigning World Champion looking – arguably – the strongest on paper.

       

      It will be vital for both Quartararo and Viñales to get into Turn 1 ahead of the Repsol Honda, and it will be interesting to see if Viñales’ early race pace struggles have been eradicated in 2020. The number 12 rider and Marquez were separated by the slenderest of margins in FP4 – 0.001 – and that looks set to be a sure sign for the race. Of course, Quartararo will be hoping he can banish the demons from 12 months ago when he started from his first MotoGP™ pole position in Jerez – this time being his seventh, will it be his lucky number on Sunday afternoon? The devastation we witnessed after losing out to Marquez in Thailand last season isn’t something both the Frenchman and his Petronas SRT outfit will be looking to go through again, as well as the gearbox issue experienced in Jerez last year. 

      A spectacular Sunday showdown is on its way in Jerez, but you can’t discount riders like Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), teammate Jack Miller and others who launch from the leading rows. The Spanish GP is going to be a race of attrition and tyre wear will play a huge role, so it’s going to be extremely intriguing to see how the leaders – whoever they might be – control the pace, and who that brings into play. A gruelling 25-lap slog awaits, it’s survival of the fittest and – from what we’ve seen – it’s a Yamaha vs Marc Marquez showdown. Don't miss an ounce of the MotoGP™ 2020 season opener as lights go out at 14:00 local time (GMT+2)!

       

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