Andalucia MotoGP Race Results - Quartararo's Jerez double, Rossi 3rd

Fabio Quartararo consolidated his maiden MotoGP World Championship race win by notching up his second with victory in the Andalucia MotoGP at the same Jerez circuit just seven days on.

The culmination of a career-changing week for the young Frenchman, while his win a week ago was achieved with some headway to make up on the lead pack initially before he took control, he all-but dominated lights-to-flag this time.

Ahead throughout save for a brief moment when Maverick Vinales’ ambitious lunge up the inside at the final corner on lap one was quickly swapped back over in seconds. A new feat to lead from start-to-finish in challenging conditions, he crossed the line a full 4.6s clear of the opposition.

Leading the distant challenge was Quartararo’s Yamaha counterparts Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi, who emphasised Yamaha’s stellar start to the year by completing a brilliant 1-2-3.

Completing a brace of seconds for Vinales, the Spanaird was made to work hard as he dropped to as low as sixth at one stage, retirements up ahead allowed him back onto Rossi’s tail for him to pass with two laps remaining. Nonetheless, third marks Rossi’s first trip to the podium since Austin 2019.

The pair did have fortune favour them though given Pecco Bagnaia had passed and gapped them mid-way through the race as he looked to be well on course for his maiden MotoGP podium. However, his Ducati would hit technical issues with seven laps to go, compounding a dismal day for Pramac Ducati after Jack Miller crashed out on lap 10.

In a race of high attrition, Franco Morbidelli and Danilo Petrucci were running in good positions when the former hit gremlins and the latter crashed. 

Meanwhile, Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira couldn’t make use of their headline grabbing seventh and fifth results on the grid after colliding at the first Turn 1. The Portuguese rider retired on the spot, with Binder carrying on and showing good pace, only to high-side later in the race.

Their misfortune nonetheless spelled good news for Takaaki Nakagami, whose run to fourth on the 2019 Honda RC213V marked a new career-best and spared some blushes for the manufacturer at the end of a bruising week.

Joan Mir also equalled his best in MotoGP with a run to fifth on the Suzuki, ahead of a lacklustre Andrea Dovizioso down in sixth from 14th on the grid, while Pol Espargaro was left to fly the KTM flag again, this time in seventh.

Alex Marquez made good gains from his starting position to post a very respectable eighth on the Repsol Honda – higher than anything Jorge Lorenzo managed in 2019 – ahead of Johann Zarco, who scored Avintia’s best result since 2018 in ninth and walking wounded Alex Rins, who soldiered to a solid tenth.

With just 13 riders reaching the chequered flag, the final positions were assumed by Tito Rabat, Bradley Smith – caught up in Oliveira and Binder’s T1 impact – and Cal Crutchlow, who went a lap down after pitting towards the end of the race.

In the overall standings Quartararo's perfect two wins from two pole positions gives him a maximum haul of 50 points so far, ahead of Vinales on 40. Marc Marquez, who withdraw from action yesterday due to his fractured arm, is yet to score but is expected to be back to nearing full fitness by Brno in two weeks' time.

2020 Andalucia MotoGP - Race Results (Round 2 of 13*)