Repsol Honda Team’s Alex Marquez is now the first ride to have grabbed wins in two Virtual MotoGP races after he took down his brother and teammate Marc Marquez on the very last corner at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. The podium was complete with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) in third.
It was the third time for Quartararo to start from a pole position in a virtual race as he clocked in his most dominant performance yet. The opening lap of the nine-lap race was rather chaotic with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), who have both won before, crashing out.
The opening lap also saw The Doctor crash out after contact with Alex Marquez through Turns 4 and 5. This let Quartararo make a run for the front, with both Marc and Alex Marquez behind him. Alex swooped through to second not long after, with Marc admitted that he’d rather secure a top-three finish then crash chasing his brother.
Quartararo finished the third lap with an advantage of nearly four seconds however the lead quickly ran out the 21-year-old Frenchman tucked the front, letting Alex Marquez move to the front. Fabio set about chasing down the Mugello race winner and within two laps he was right at the rear wheel of the Honda.
Also read: MotoGP Stay at Home GP: Third virtual race concludes, Alex Marquez clinches perfect podium record
It all came down to the final lap and the final sector which made this a thrilling finale. Alex Marquez got closer to his brother as Quartararo closed in on the two before pushing to the absolute limit but he tucked the front again and any chance of grasping a last-gasp win was gone.
Over at the back, Rossi took advantage of Quartararo’s situation and took the final podium place on home soil. Team Ecstar Suzuki’s Joan Mir finished at fifth ahead of Viñales and Bagnaia. Nakagami finished eighth, clear of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Lorenzo Savadori, Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat and Ducati Team’s Michele Pirro.
