Joan Mir wins first MotoGP title at Valencia Grand Prix

Joan Mir received the MotoGP title for the primary time with a seventh-place end on the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday.

Pole-sitter Franco Morbidelli received the race for this third victory of the season, but it surely was not sufficient to maintain Mir from securing the title with one race to go. The season-finale will happen in Portugal subsequent week.

The 23-year-old Spanish rider with Suzuki began from 12th place on the grid and wanted nothing greater than a top-three end to clinch the title. He additionally might have lifted the trophy by ending forward of the opposite contenders.

He received his first MotoGP race final weekend on the identical Ricardo Tormo circuit close to Valencia and earned seven podium finishes in 13 races.

Mir entered Sunday’s race with a 37-point benefit over each Suzuki teammate Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha. Morbidelli, Maverick Viñales and Andrea Dovizioso additionally had a mathematical probability to win the title.

This yr’s title race was broad open after six-time champion Marc Márquez was sidelined due to an harm. There have been 9 totally different winners this season, with 5 first-time winners.

The MotoGP season was shortened and had its calendar severely altered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mir moved up a spot initially on Sunday and regularly moved to the entrance. Quartararo, a three-time winner this yr who began 11th on the grid, went broad early and dropped to the again of the pack, then crashed out of the race with lower than 20 laps to go.

Johann Zarco, who began fourth on the grid, crashed early within the race.

[All the action from the MotoGP™ World Championship 2020 will continue on Eurosport, Eurosport HD and Discovery Plus with the final race of the season i.e. Grande Prémio MEO de Portugal on November 21, 2020, Saturday (Qualification Race) and November 22, 2020, Sunday (Main Race)]