Mir Wins 1st MotoGP Title at Valencia Grand Prix

Sports

November 15th, 3:59pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

2020 World champion, Spain's rider Joan Mir of the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR competes during the MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix in Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Joan Mir won the MotoGP title for the first time with a seventh-place finish at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday. Pole-sitter Franco Morbidelli won the race for this third victory of the season, but it was not enough to keep Mir from securing the title with one race to go. The season-finale will take place in Portugal next week. “I can’t believe this has happened,” Mir said. “I’m so tired that I don’t have the strength to celebrate. I don’t have any words for this moment.” The 23-year-old Spanish rider with Suzuki, only in his second MotoGP season, started from 12th place on the grid and needed nothing more than a top-three finish to clinch the title. He also could have lifted the trophy by finishing ahead of the other contenders. Morbidelli moved to second in the standings, with Álex Rins third. Mir's success also gave Suzuki its first MotoGP title in 20 years. Mir won his first MotoGP race last weekend at the same Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia and earned seven podium finishes in 13 races. He entered Sunday’s race with a 37-point advantage over both Suzuki teammate Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha. Morbidelli, Maverick Viñales and Andrea Dovizioso also had a mathematical chance to win the title. This year’s title race was wide open after six-time champion Marc Márquez was sidelined because of an injury. There have been nine different winners this season, with five first-time winners. The MotoGP season was shortened and had its calendar severely altered because of the coronavirus pandemic. Mir moved up a place at the start on Sunday and gradually moved to the front. Quartararo, a three-time winner this year who started 11th on the grid, went wide early and dropped to the back of the pack, then crashed out of the race with less than 20 laps to go. Johann Zarco, who started fourth on the grid, crashed early in the race, while Takaaki Nakagami fell near the end while seeking his first podium finish.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2627071/mir-wins-1st-motogp-title-valencia-grand-prix