Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) (AFP)
Fabio Quartararo won the MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain on Sunday, his first success in the queen category of motorcycle sport and the first victory of a French driver since Régis Laconi in 1999.
The Niçois overtook the Spaniard Maverick Vinales, also on Yamaha, at the end of a spectacular race marked by a fantastic recovery of the six-time Spanish world champion Marc Marquez (Honda) which however ended up falling heavily.
"P ... it's the best day of my life," said Quartararo after the finish.
He is, at 21, is the 4th French driver to win an event in the queen category after George Monneret in 1954, Christian Sarron in 1985 and therefore Régis Laconi in 1999.
Starting in pole position, Quartararo had to give ground in the first laps of the race, especially against Marquez and Vinales. But an error by Marquez, who came out in the gravel, then one by Vinales allowed him to take the lead so as not to leave her until the finish.
Marquez then started a fantastic comeback which brought him from 18th to 3rd place before committing a new error and falling after an impressive cabriole from which he rose visibly very sore.
The Spanish GP was the first round of the MotoGP 2020 world championship, the start of which was delayed by several months due to the coronavirus epidemic.
A minute of silence was observed before the start of the race for the victims of this disease to which Quartararo also paid tribute after his victory.
© 2020 AFP