MOTOGP 2020 IN REVIEW
Feature
P120
as Morbidelli and Miller put on another edge-of-
your-seat last lap that saw Morbidelli the winner
over the gritty Aussie, with Espargaro third, again.
FAREWELL PARTY
As the series moved to the final round at
Portimao, it was something of a farewell party.
Cal Crutchlow had recently been confirmed as
Yamaha's test rider for next year, replacing former
World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, and Dovizioso
was on the way out, too. Rossi was saying good-
bye to his factory Yamaha team as he joins Petro-
nas Yamaha, and Tito Rabat was riding in what will
likely be his last MotoGP race.
Pol Espargaro was leaving KTM for Repsol
Honda, Alex Marquez was leaving Repsol Honda
for Crutchlow's old LCR Honda spot, Zarco was
moving up to Pramac Ducati, Petrucci was off to
KTM, and Miller and Bagnaia were both having
their final ride in Pramac colors before heading to
the factory team in 2021.
The first race at Portimao for MotoGP turned out
to be a homeboy benefit, as Miguel Oliveira blitzed
all before him to take pole and a runaway race win,
his and Tech 3 KTM's second MotoGP race victory.
Miller and Morbidelli engaged again for second
and third, this time the Australian getting the bet-
ter of the Italian. Newly crowned world champion
Joan Mir retired with mechanical problems.
CONSISTENCY PREVAILS
At one point, the 2020 MotoGP World Cham-
pionship looked like the title no one wanted to
win. Title leaders included Andrea Dovizioso and
Fabio Quartararo, but neither could sustain the
consistency of Mir, who claimed the champion-
ship with 171 points ahead of Morbidelli (158) and
Formation flying as Joan Mir (36)
eeks out a few precious 10ths of a
second over teammate Alex Rins
at Valencia 1. It was Mir's only win,
but that's all he needed.
To the winner…
Mir's title was
earned on a diet
of consistency.
While others
faltered, Mir kept
racking up the
points.
Rossi's season was
a disaster. Between
Covid-19 and the first
time in his career in
which he's crashed out
three races in a row,
2020 plainly sucked
for The Doctor.
