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MotoGP 2020: Alex Marquez Wins First Ever #StayAtHomeGP Virtual Race Amid Covid-19 Pandemic
Sunday's virtual MotoGP race saw Repsol Honda Team's Alex Marquez clinch a rather impressive victory in his debut race in the premier class segment. The first-ever #StayAtHomeGP was filled excitement as as ten racers put on a show in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
All riders got five minutes for free practice and flying laps to decide grid positions. Petronas Yamaha SRT's Fabio Quartararo started the race from pole position, followed by Pramac Racing's Francesco Bagnaia, and Monster Energy Yamaha's Maverick Vinales.
The #StayAtHomeGP was all drama from the get go. Quartararo, alongside Vinales, Alex Marquez and Bagnaia went in to Turn 1, with Quartararo lost the front after hitting the brakes late, and took out his 2021 teammate Viñales in the process.
Alex Marquez took the lead, followed by Bagnaia and current World Champion Marc Marquez. avoided the incident and were able to break clear, with World Champion Marc Marquez.
The lap saw Quartararo fighting back through the field up to fifth place folowed by Team Ecstar Suzuki's Alex Rins, and Red Bull KTM Tech 3's Iker Lecuona.
Chaos ensued through lap two with Alex Marquez leading. Joan Mir crashed out after getting a shunt from his teammate Alex Rins; and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini's Aleix Espargaro riding straight into Quartararo causing a second crash.
Lap three saw Alex Marquez cutting away from the rest of the racers and Bagnaia still in second place. The lap also saw Vinales was recovering from the earlier incident and was chasing Marc Marquez down while at fourth position, but crashed after braking late and running into the gravel trap.
Vinales recovered and was able to move to third position after Marc Marquez crashed. The start of the penultimate lap showed what the podium places would look like except for a fourth place battle between Marc Marquez and Quartararo.
The final lap of the virtual MotoGP race saw Alex Marquez take pole position by over seven seconds, followed by Bagnaia and Vinales in third and fourth respectively. Marc Marquez, Alex Rins and Joan Mir finished fifith, sixth, and seventh respectively.
Red Bull KTM Tech 3's Miguel Oliveira & Iker Lecuona, and Racing Team Gresini's Aleix Espargaro completed eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively.
Thoughts About Alex Marquez Winning The First Ever #StayAtHomeGP Virtual Race
What an incredible and historic day for the sport. The #StayAtHomeGP had pretty much everything from clashes, crashes, clashes, to a rookie taking the podium. Congratulations to Alex Marquez for winning an absolute incredible video game, and the first virtual race of the 2020 MotoGP season, well sort of.
The good news is we don't have to wait long for the next Virtual MotoGP race. MotoGP has already a Virtual Race 2.0 with fresh faces from Ducati and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.