MotoGP™: Rins becomes 2020’s eighth victor in Spain

Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) was first across the line at Round 11 of the 2020 MotoGPTM World Championship – the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragón – to become the season’s eighth different winner. Alex Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) was second again, while third-placed Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) made it two Suzukis on the podium and now tops the provisional Riders’ standings. The day’s top three featured two different MICHELIN Power Slick combinations.  

Rins took advantage of the impressive grip provided by his soft front and rear MICHELIN Power Slicks to get away to a flying start from 10th on the grid. The Suzuki rider concluded the opening lap in fourth spot and posted the fastest race lap third time around before taking command on Lap 8.

He then shrugged off late pressure from Marquez to pocket his first win of the campaign and emerge as the eighth different rider to have taken the laurels so far in 2020. Suzuki is the fourth different bikemaker to have topped the order.

Spanish rookie Márquez followed up his second place in France last week with the same result on home soil after superbly slicing his way up the field from 11th on the grid, aided by his choice of medium and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear. He passed Mir to go second five laps from home and took the flag just 0.263s short of Rins.

The afternoon’s top five was rounded out by early leader Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and the best-placed Independent Team Rider Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda).

This year’s Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragón proved a big challenge on the tyre front due to the contrast between the chilly mornings – which prompted the organisers to delay the different sessions – and the relatively hotter afternoons, with the track temperature standing at 31°C for the start of Sunday’s race. Even so, Rins completed the 23 laps almost three seconds faster than last year’s winner, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team).

Four of the available tyre combinations were chosen for the Spanish clash, although practically half of the field opted for medium and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear. Only the hard compound was not used.

The result has promoted Mir to the top of the provisional Riders’ classification on 121 points, chased by Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo (115) and Viñales (109).

Next round: Gran Premio Liqui Moly de Teruel, Motorland Aragon (October 23-25).