Joan Mir is 2020 MotoGP Champion, Suzuki on Top Again After 20 Years posted on 2020-11-15 02:44:16

Joan Mir is the 2020 MotoGP Champion after finishing 7^th at the Motul Grand Prix of Valencia. It is also Suzuki’s first rider title since 2000 with Kenny Roberts, Jr.

The Suzuki Ecstar rider headed into this penultimate race with 13 points in hand with two races to go. All he needed was a podium finish if his closes t title rivals, teammate Alex Rins and PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team rider Fabio Quartararo finished on the podium. 

However, Quartararo would only run wide at Turn 2 on the opening lap. The off-track excursion put him down the order. He would crash out of the race entirely several laps later. That put him completely out of the title hunt and relegated him to fourth in the riders’ championship.

Rins, on the other hand, found himself stuck in 6^th and unable to improve until Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami crashed out. He would finish 4^th. 

Meanwhile, Mir took it easy and not commit himself to any risk by riding steadily in 9^th for a long period before passing Miguel Oliviera and finally finished in 7^th for 9 points.

Those were enough to seal the 2020 Riders’ Championship with 171 points, from Franco Morbidelli who won the race with 142 points and Alex Rins with 138 points. Morbidelli cannot overhaul Mir’s points haul should he win the next round at Portimao, Portugal for 25 points and Mir crashes out.

Mir had crashed out in the first race in Jerez, before finishing 5^th in the repeat round. He then crashed again at the Czech Republic. However, he rallied since then, finishing 2^nd in three races, 3^rd in another three, 11^th once and winning his maiden race at the same track last week.

Looking back, Mir was the most consistent rider throughout the season despite chasing his first race victory while other riders took turn winning their maiden races but then dropping off in strong finishes.

Well done Joan Mir and Suzuki Ecstar. The team had also wrapped up the Constructors’ and Teams’ title, thus it’s triple the crown for Suzuki.