VOLUME 57 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 3, 2020 P109
to any undervaluation of the
crown—whoever that will turn out
to be. Currently it's a close one
between new leader Joan Mir,
triple race-winner Fabio Quar-
tararo, double winner Franco
Morbidelli and single winner
Maverick Vinales, not necessar-
ily in that order.
Interestingly, Mir leads without
having won a single race. If he
keeps this up, he would become
the second rider in 75 years to
take the crown without a win
in that year. The first was 1999
champ 125 Emilio Alzamora,
nowadays Svengali to Marc Mar-
quez and several other Spanish
racing hotshots.
This fact serves to underline
the point.
Champions only have to beat
who is there. Which is just an-
other way of saying: "You have
to be in it to win it."
Likewise, they only have to
win the series as it is.
Still, the absence of Marc
Marquez has left MotoGP in a
strange shadowland. Like an
orchestra without a conductor,
playing from memory.
The result has been a totally
unpredictable series of eight
different winners in 11 races,
rookies and satellite riders taking
wins and podiums, and a nail-
bitingly close and unpredictable
title fight.
It is pretty certain it wouldn't
have been like this if Marc hadn't
spannered himself in the first
race. For the past few years, his
speed has stretched the pursuit,
left everybody else panting.
Instead of the luxury of devel-
oping their own tactics, riders
would have the race dictated to
them. All they could do is try to
scramble to catch up.
This is an unforgiving template
and gave rise to few surprises.
Unlike when the whole thing is
thrown wide open, in the ab-
sence of an obvious leader.
Then, to quote the favorite
cliché of at least one TV com-
mentator, "Anything can happen
… and usually does."
It has certainly stimulated and
rewarded the imagination.
One reward has been desper-
ately close racing. For example,
the top 10 at the first of the two
Aragon rounds was over the line
within 9.6 seconds. This is the
second-closest premier-class
top 10 in racing history.
The more unexpected out-
comes have been at tracks
where races were run on con-
secutive weekends. The feeling
in the paddock may have been
all Groundhog Day, but the
results sheets were anything
but repetitive, as everyone went
faster than previously, and in no
particular order.
No one could have predicted
the way favorites have come to
the fore, only to slump again.
In fact, the only reliable expec-
tation, as the year has worn
on, has, itself, been an inver-
sion. For the past three years,
Dovizioso has been the steadfast
counterpoint to Marquez's supe-
riority. Now, race after race, he
can't even qualify in the top 10
to go straight into Q2. And just
to prove the erratic equation, he
did win a race anyway.
Which kind of racing is bet-
ter? Ragged-toothed scrap-
ping, or academic excellence?
Is perfection worth more than
excitement? That is an argument
between purists and sensation
seekers. Personally, I enjoy both
but, perhaps perversely, lean
towards the former.
But whatever the preference,
we must respect all the champi-
ons just the same. CN
CHAMPIONS
ONLY HAVE
TO BEAT WHO
IS THERE.
WHICH IS JUST
ANOTHER WAY
OF SAYING:
"YOU HAVE TO
BE IN IT TO
WIN IT."
