After three showdowns in Le Mans, Aragon and Teruel, the 2020 MotoGP™ World Championship title race has taken yet more twists and turns. A crazy season continues and as the dust settles on the recent triple-header, six riders have emerged as genuine title contenders with three races to go.
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MR CONSISTENCY: MIR STRENGTHENS TITLE GRIP WITH THREE TO GO
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MORBIDELLI AND RINS: UNDERDOGS TO REAL CONTENDERS
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VIÑALES ADAMANT CHAMPIONSHIP PRESSURE ISN'T GETTING TO HIM
Joan Mir’s (Team Suzuki Ecstar) two podiums at MotorLand Aragon sees him at the summit. Mr Consistency’s six podiums in the last eight races – despite still being winless – means Mir has soared to 14 points clear of Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). It’s a healthy but by no means safe advantage heading to a Circuit Ricardo Tormo double-header, a track Quartararo claimed a podium at last season.
The likes of Quartararo and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) have only seen the rostrum once since their double Jerez podiums. El Diablo’s brilliant Barcelona victory and Viñales’ flawless display at the Emilia Romagna GP have been their only two results to shout about since the opening couple of rounds.
Yamaha’s in form man right now is Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT). A win last time out – 14 seconds ahead of both Viñales and Quartararo – propels the Italian into the title frame as just 11 points now cover the three YZR-M1 riders, with out of form Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) slipping to P5 overall as Ducati’s struggles continued at MotorLand Aragon. The Italian’s best finish since his Austria heroics is a P4 in the rain-soaked Le Mans race, as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) now sits just four points behind in P6.
Rins’ superb 45 points bagged at MotorLand Aragon now means there’s 32 covering himself and teammate Mir in the title race, with the four other riders floating in the middle. This is the closest a top six in the premier class Championship has been with three races to go since the points format changed in 1993.
In addition, 14 riders are still mathematically in with a chance of bagging the 2020 MotoGP™ crown. Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) is the last of those on 64 points to Mir’s 137. Up until this weird and wonderful campaign, the highest number of riders still in with a shot at the Championship was in 2006, when eventual winner Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Marco Melandri, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi could all still lift the coveted trophy at the end of the year.
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DOVIZIOSO: "IT'S DIFFICULT TO BE OPTIMISTIC"
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QUARTARARO: "THE NEXT THREE RACES WILL BE GREAT FOR US"
In short, 2020’s title race is like no other. The leading six in the overall standings are the ones who look most likely to be in with a serious shout, but who knows what can happen in the final three races. The best thing about it is no one has a clue what is going to happen, all we can do now is get set for the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and watch how this magnificent season unfolds.