Joan Mir (pictured in 2021) was the 2020 MotoGP Champion.
The 2020 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 72nd F.I.M.Road Racing World Championship season.
The season was notably characterized by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the absence of perennial title favourite and defending champion Marc Márquez due to a serious arm injury, the high number of wins from different riders, teams and constructors, and the Yamaha engine controversy.
Joan Mir secured his maiden MotoGP title and Team Suzuki Ecstar secured their first and only team championship at the penultimate round. Mir's championship was the first for a Suzuki rider since 2000.[1] Mir won the title by 13 points ahead of Franco Morbidelli. Ducati won the constructors' championship following a 50-point deduction for Yamaha, despite having no riders in the championship's top three.
Season summary
Marc Márquez and Repsol Honda started the season as the defending World Champion and World Constructors' champions respectively, after they both won their championships in 2019 for the fourth consecutive season. After an opening round crash resulting in a fractured humerus,[2] and an aborted return attempt the following week,[3] Márquez sat out the remainder of the season, meaning he could not win the title for a fifth consecutive time.[4] Former premier class world champion Valentino Rossi had a career-low season, finishing the championship outside of the top 7 for the first time in his career, ending 15th.
By mid-November, Joan Mir secured the riders' title with one win and seven podiums and Team Suzuki Ecstar clinched the teams' championship.[1]Ducati took the constructors' championship in the final round in Portugal, helped by the 50-point penalty handed to Yamaha earlier in the season. This was Ducati's first constructors' title since Casey Stoner's dominant 2007 season.
Riders Fabio Quartararo, Brad Binder, Miguel Oliveira, Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir won their first premier class victories during the season and KTM took their first wins as a constructor. Five riders taking their inaugural victories in the season surpassed the record set in the 2016 season. In addition, three teams (Petronas SRT, KTM Factory Racing and Tech3, respectively) won their first races in the premier class.[5][6][7][8][9] Between the Czech Republic and Aragon Grands Prix, different riders won in eight successive races, equalling the previous record set between the 2016 Italian and San Marino Grands Prix.[10] A total of 9 different riders won a race in the season, also matching the record set in 2016.[11] Morbidelli and Quartararo won three races each, Oliveira two, with Binder, Andrea Dovizioso, Maverick Viñales, Danilo Petrucci, Álex Rins and champion Mir (in chronological order) each having won a single race.
When Joan Mir secured the riders' championship title, he became the first Suzuki rider to win the title since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000, the first non-Honda or non-Yamaha rider to win the title since Ducati rider Casey Stoner in 2007, as well as the first Moto3 world champion to win the premier class title.[citation needed]
COVID-19 pandemic
The season calendar was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation or postponement of many races and an overall delay to the start of the season. On 11 June, the rescheduled calendar was confirmed, with the season beginning on 19 July with the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. On 31 July, the FIM announced that the remaining flyaway races were to be cancelled, marking the first time since 1986 that the premier class was held entirely within Europe.[12] With a total of only 14 rounds, it was the shortest season of 500cc/MotoGP since 1998.
Affected riders
In mid-October, Valentino Rossi became the first premier class rider to test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, forcing him to miss the Aragon and Teruel rounds due to Italian quarantine regulations.[13][14] A longer-than-expected recovery put his return in Valencia into question, but a pair of negative tests allowed Rossi to rejoin the paddock for the Saturday sessions of the European Grand Prix.[15]
Iker Lecuona missed the European Grand Prix due to Andorran quarantine rules for close contact with positive-tested individuals, after his brother and assistant both tested positive for the virus.[16] Lecuona later tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus himself, forcing him to miss the Valencian and Portuguese Grands Prix.[17][18]
Yamaha engine controversy
Before the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Yamaha and its teams were handed penalties for disregarding the protocol which requires obtaining unanimous approval from the Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers Association (MSMA) for engine technical changes. Yamaha allegedly changed the specification of engine valves between the homologation freeze just before the abandoned Qatar round and the opening round in Jerez, claiming "an internal oversight". As a result, Yamaha was docked 50 points in the manufacturers' championship and the Yamaha factory team and Petronas SRT lost 20 and 37 points respectively, equal to the points scored using the non-compliant engines. No penalty was applied to individual riders' points totals.[19][20][21] Yamaha made an official statement accepting the FIM's sanctions and confirmed it would not appeal the decision.[22]
Three-time MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo retired at the conclusion of the 2019 season, after 12 seasons in the premier class.[53] He was replaced at Repsol Honda by 2019 Moto2 championÁlex Márquez, alongside his brother Marc Márquez.[36][54] On 30 January 2020, Jorge Lorenzo was confirmed to be returning to Yamaha as a part of the manufacturer's European testing team.[55] Before the start of the season, Lorenzo confirmed that he would make a wildcard entry for Yamaha at the Catalunya round.[56] Due to the COVID-19 response, wildcard entries were later forbidden to minimize paddock personnel.[57]
Between the Valencia and Jerez 2019 post-season tests, it was announced that Reale Avintia had elected to prematurely terminate Karel Abraham's contract which would have seen him with the team through the end of 2020. Abraham confirmed his retirement from MotoGP after 8 years in the premier class.[58] Johann Zarco joined Reale Avintia in Karel Abraham's place.[32]
Andrea Iannone was handed a provisional suspension from all FIM-sanctioned events on 17 December 2019 for a failed doping test after the Malaysian Grand Prix. On 31 March 2020, the FIM International Disciplinary Court upheld the suspension and commuted it to an 18-month ban from the beginning of the provisional suspension.[59]Bradley Smith replaced him beginning with the first 2 rounds of 2020, as Iannone awaited the results of his appeal.[23] By mid-August, Iannone's appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was postponed until 15 October, meaning Smith would continue as replacement rider at least until the French Grand Prix.[24] On 15 October, the CAS announced that the final decision would be made by mid-November, casting doubts on any return for Iannone before the season finale on 22 November.[60] On 10 November, the CAS announced its decision to extend Iannone's ban from 18 months to a 4-year period.[61]
Mid-season changes
Stefan Bradl replaced Marc Márquez from the Czech Republic round onwards while he recovered from injuries sustained in an opening round crash at the Spanish Grand Prix.[38] Márquez did not return for the remainder of the season.[4]
Valentino Rossi tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus on 15 October, requiring him to quarantine for a minimum of 10 days according to Italian law and forcing him to miss the Aragon and Teruel rounds. Yamaha confirmed that they would not field a replacement for Rossi at the Teruel round on 25 October.[13][14] After delays to Valentino Rossi's SARS-CoV-2 recovery, Yamaha World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff was announced initially to replace Rossi at the European Grand Prix.[47] Gerloff completed the Friday sessions of free practice, before two subsequent negative tests from Rossi allowed him to return to the paddock beginning with the third practice session on Saturday.[15]
Aprilia test rider and former World Superbike rider Lorenzo Savadori was announced to replace Bradley Smith for the final three rounds in Valencia and Portugal, subsequently ruling Andrea Iannone out of a start in 2020.[25]
Tech3 rider Iker Lecuona was forced to sit out of the European Grand Prix in Valencia, due to Andorran quarantine rules for close contact with individuals who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. His brother – with whom he lived in Andorra – and his personal assistant both tested positive for the virus on 3 November, meaning Lecuona was forced into a mandatory quarantine of 10 days minimum. Tech3 elected not to replace him on such short notice.[16] Lecuona also missed the Valencian Grand Prix after he subsequently tested positive for the virus shortly before the beginning of the race weekend,[17] and subsequently the Portuguese Grand Prix on the following weekend. KTM factory test rider Mika Kallio replaced Lecuona in Portugal.[18]
The Finnish Grand Prix was planned to be reintroduced to the calendar after a 37-year absence. The venue hosting the round was planned to be the new Kymi Ring, instead of the Tampere Circuit used in 1962 and 1963 or the Imatra Circuit which hosted the round until 1982.[77]
The Aragon Grand Prix was moved from the last week of September to the first week of October. It was later returned to its original schedule to allow for the rescheduled Thailand Grand Prix.[84]
Calendar changes as a reaction to COVID-19 pandemic
The season calendar was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation or postponement of many races and an overall delay to the start of the season.
The Qatar Grand Prix, originally scheduled to be the first round, was cancelled after Qatariquarantine measures were put in place. Travelers coming from Italy or having recently been in Italy would be required to quarantine for two weeks, creating difficulties for the many teams, riders, and suppliers based in Italy. However, the Moto2 and Moto3 races proceeded as planned, as the teams and riders were already in Qatar for their final pre-season test before the quarantine measures were implemented.[85]
The Thailand Grand Prix was postponed on 2 March due to COVID-19 concerns.[86] It was later planned to take place on 4 October, shifting the Aragon Grand Prix forward by a week.[87]
The Grand Prix of the Americas was postponed from 5 April to 15 November after the City of Austin implemented a state of emergency. The Valencian Grand Prix was subsequently shifted back by one week to 22 November to accommodate the Austin rescheduling.[88]
The Argentine Grand Prix was postponed to 22 November, further shifting the finale in Valencia to 29 November.[89]
The German Grand Prix was postponed on 17 April after the German government announced a ban of all large gatherings until at least 31 August.[93]
The Dutch TT was postponed on 23 April after the Dutch government announced a ban on all mass events until at least 1 September.[94]
The Finnish Grand Prix was postponed on 24 April.[95]
The German, Dutch and Finnish rounds were officially cancelled on 29 April.[96] For the first time in the championship's history, the Dutch TT was absent from the calendar.
The British and Australian rounds were cancelled on 29 May.[97]
The Italian round was officially cancelled on 10 June.[99]
On 11 June, a new schedule based solely within Europe was announced. The season would contain 5 "double-headers" on consecutive weekends at Jerez, Austria, Misano, Aragon, and Valencia to achieve a minimum of 13 races.[62]
The Grand Prix of the Americas was officially cancelled on 8 July.[100]
The Argentine, Thai and Malaysian rounds were officially cancelled on 31 July.[101]
On 10 August, the Portuguese Grand Prix was announced to be staging the final race of the 2020 season at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. It marked the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 2012, when it was held at the Autódromo do Estoril. Portimão has been MotoGP's reserve track since 2017.[72] It also marked the first time since 2001 that the season finale was not held in Valencia.
^ abAprilia Racing Team Gresini maintained Andrea Iannone as their official entry despite his suspension, pending appeals. Replacement rider entries were made as Iannone was ineligible to participate.
^Iker Lecuona was entered during round 13 but was withdrawn from the race when he tested positive for COVID-19.[41]
^ abGarrett Gerloff initially replaced Valentino Rossi during round 12 and competed in the two Friday practice sessions while Rossi was waiting for his COVID-19 test results, but was withdrawn from the race when Rossi was declared fit to race after testing negative for COVID-19.
^ abcEarly season race was initially rescheduled for later in the season before ultimately being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
^Yamaha scored 254 points as a manufacturer, but were deducted 50 points after failing to respect MSMA technical changes protocols.[19]
^Petronas Yamaha SRT riders scored 285 points, but the team was deducted 37 points after failing to respect MSMA technical changes protocols.[19]
^Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders scored 198 points, but the team was deducted 20 points after failing to respect MSMA technical changes protocols.[19]
^"Honour roll: the 9 winners – so far". MotoGP.com. Dorna Sports. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016. The only other year in the 68 year history of motorcycle grand prix racing that there were eight different winners in a premier-class season was in 2000, when eight riders won 500cc Grands Prix: Kenny Roberts Jnr, Garry McCoy, Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Alex Barros, Alex Criville, Loris Capirossi and Norick Abe.
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