Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) (AFP)
Fabio Quartararo won the Grand Prix of Andalusia on Sunday, his second consecutive victory, after having totally dominated the race on the circuit of Jerez.
The French driver, 21, thus takes off in the provisional classification of the world championship after two events, taking advantage of two white results from the six-time world champion and title holder Marc Marquez.
The Spaniard was forced to forfeit the race after breaking his arm in falling during the previous event on the same Andalusian circuit last Sunday.
Another Spaniard, Maverick Vinales, 25, and veteran Italian Valentino Rossi, 41, complete the podium and bring Yamaha a hat-trick.
"I'm happy. I've found my rhythm. It's a wonderful feeling," said the winner, thanking his SRT team, the Yamaha satellite team whose two factory machines could not dispute the superiority. .
Starting from pole position, the Niçois left no chance for his rivals, Vinales and Rossi being quickly left behind. He crossed the finish line largely detached, standing on the toe clips of his motorcycle. He became the first French driver to win two races in the premier category after having been, a week before, the first French to win in this category since 1999.
- With his idol -
Quartararo has never made a secret of his admiration for Valentino Rossi, 20 years his senior. "He's my idol and always has been. It's fantastic to be next to him on the podium for my second victory," he said.
He also winked at French football player Kylian Mbappé by crossing his arms crossing the finish line, a customary gesture by the star of Paris Saint-Germain who has just been injured. Mbappé congratulated him in the wake on Twitter: "Congratulations. We can say that you have taste ... 10/10", he applauded.
The Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati-Pramac) managed to seize second position in the first laps before retiring due to engine failure, a breakdown also affecting Quartararo's teammate, the Italian Franco Morbidelli.
The sweltering heat and tire wear caused many falls but no injuries were reported. In total, 8 out of 21 drivers at the start did not finish the race.
The previous weekend had seen many drivers breaking bones for the resumption of the championship, whose schedule was turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. Besides Marquez, Spaniard Alex Rins (Suzuki) dislocated his shoulder and Briton Cal Crutchlow (Honda-LCR) broke his wrist. The two drivers, however, took part in the race on Sunday and placed 16th and 19th respectively.
It was the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami (Honda-LCR) who inherited 4th place.
Valentino Rossi has shown that, despite being in his forties, he is still capable of fighting for the top spots. Always facetious, the Italian, seven-time world champion in the premier category, performed a victory dance in front of the stands ... completely empty, the event taking place behind closed doors.
- Rossi on the podium -
"I am very happy because it has been a long time since I was on the podium. We started to work differently this weekend and coming back to the podium is not quite like a victory but almost", underlined Rossi , who finished 2nd at the GP of the Americas on April 14, 2019 for his last podium.
The Italian legend already knows that he will have to give up his place in the Yamaha factory team to Fabio Quartararo next year and is currently discussing to replace him at Yamaha-SRT, showing no intention of hanging up for the moment. .
With 50 points, Fabio Quartararo takes advantage of Marc Marquez's white score to take the lead in the championship with 10 points ahead of Maverick Vinales.
The next Grand Prix is that of the Czech Republic on August 9.
© 2020 AFP