This year’s MotoGP season hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, has been in turns, amazing, unpredictable and heart-stopping. The season ender in Portimao, Portugal saw Miguel Oliveira of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing taking the chequered flag in his home country, getting the holeshot from pole position and leading the race from start to finish.
Oliveira was in a league of his own, facing no challenge from Jack Miller of Pramac Racing and Franco Morbidelli of Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT). Morbidelli and Miller had a battle all their own for second and third place, with Miller making his move on the final lap, pipping Morbidelli for the second place win and leaving the Italian to settle for third.
However, this was good enough for Morbidelli to finish second in the rider’s championship with five podium places and three race wins, in contrast to his SRT team mate. It was a poor showing Fabio Quartararo, who started the season very strongly with two first place finishes and led the World Championship standings for most of the season, finishing in 14th place and eighth in the championship.
The Cinderella story of Team Ecstar Suzuki’s Joan Mir, who clinched the 2020 MotoGP World Championship the previous weekend in Valencia, did not quite work out this weekend, the Spaniard having to pull into the pit. Suzuki team mate Alex Rins fared little better, beating off a trio of Yamaha to finish 12th, dashing hopes of Suzuki winning the Constructors Championship but standing third in the Riders Championship.
For Ducati, Miller’s second place finish was good enough to give the the Constructor’s title which the Bologna firm last won back in 2007. For Andrea Dovizioso, who leaves Ducati after the 2020 MotoGP season, the Spaniard finished fourth in the riders’ standings.
2020 is the year we bid farewell to
A. valentino rossi – leaving factory Yamaha team after more than 15 years together to a satellite Yamaha team SIC Racing Team. SRT is pretty lucky i guess since Yamaha will still bear his salary which was reported to be in the region of 8-12 mil a season.
B. cal crutchlow – leaving fuĺl time racer life to be Yamaha test rider.
C. Andrea Dovioso – taking sabbatical from MotoGP but e is alreasy 35 now and will be 37 upon returning. with new blòod racers pouring in from Moto2 (dovi himself was one) it womt be easy