Maiden MotoGP victory for Fabio Quartararo at Jerez as reigning champion Marc Marquez breaks arm in crash

Petronas Yamaha’s 21-year-old French star Fabio Quartararo took his first win, 20 years and 304 days after the last French winner Regis Laconi at Valencia 1999.

Unfortunately the bad news from the race was reigning world champion Marc Marquez crashed at Turn 3 while chasing a podium finish. The eight-time world champion suffered a transverse diaphysial fracture to his right humerus.

The Repsol Honda rider will travel to the Barcelona to be operated by Dr. Xavier Mir on Tuesday.

When the lights went out Monster Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales blasted in to the lead followed by Marquez and Quartararo.

By lap three it was Marquez out front and it looked as though the Spaniard was heading to another emphatic win as he began to stretch his advantage at the front over Vinales and Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller with Quartararo slipping back to fourth.

It was all change on lap five as Marquez lost the front at Turn 4 and somehow managed to save the Repsol Honda from a definite crash. As he wrestled the Honda through the gravel and rejoined in 16th place Vinales was left in the lead followed by Miller and Quartararo.

As the race progressed tyre issues were beginning to cause a few problems and Vinales had a couple of big front end issues after he had chosen to run the soft Michelin front tyre.

Pole setter Quartararo took advantage of Vinales nearly crashing at Turn 13 on lap 16. It was the last time anyone challenged the Frenchman as he took the chequered flag and debut MotoGP victory.

Behind him Marquez was riding out of his skin, ploughing through the field to challenge Vinales when his crash at Turn 3 happened. Vinales was then a safe second and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso held off Miller, Franco Morbidelli and Pol Esparagro for third.

Quartararo said: “It is he best moment of my life for sure. I haven’t realised it yet. It feels so strange without the fans, I would love them to be here to cheer with them.

“But honestly, this race was for them, for all the people affected by coronavirus and for my family and everybody who supports me.

“It was a really tough race because first of all, I didn’t do a very good start. I was fifth behind Pecco and Jack and I knew that behind the Ducatis, it’s so difficult to do our corner speed, especially on the last sector. I overtook Pecco in the last corner, also Jack.

“Then I saw Marc’s mistakes and then it was difficult to catch Maverick. He did a small mistake in Turn 6 and then I did my own mistake but honestly it felt so strange because yesterday in FP4, the grip was really good.”

Runner-up Vinales added: “I‘m so happy about the start and the first laps, because I was right there at the front. I took the lead and tried to escape.

“Maybe the soft front tyre wasn‘t the best decision, but we brought the bike home in second place, which is the most important thing. We got 20 points for the championship, and now we have a second race here in Jerez, where I think we‘ll have good potential.”

In the Moto2 class it was Sky VR46 rider Luca Marini who took his first win of the 2020 season with 1.3 seconds to spare over Qatar winner Tetsuya Nagashima with Jorge Martin third.

At one point it looked as though British star Sam Lowes on the Marc VDS Kalex was going to challenge for the rostrum place as he closed to within a second but the Spaniard held on to complete the rostrum.

Moto3 series leader Albert Arenas took his second win in a row at the Jerez MotoGP round but there was last corner disappointment for Scotland’s John McPhee, who had just taken the lead and within sight of the chequered flag crashed out on the Patronas Honda after being pushed in to the gravel by Tony Arbolino.

With eight laps to go it was anyone’s race with 12 riders fighting for every inch of the Jerez tarmac but with four to go McPhee made his move for the lead and although was leading, he couldn’t break his pursuers.

The Scot lost the lead on the final lap but dived up the inside two corners from home then ran slightly wide, enough to allow Arenas through to take a comfortable win, by Moto3 standards.

Celestino Vietti and Arbolini touched with McPhee coming off the worse as he was punted in to the gravel and out of the race. Second place went to Japan’s Ai Ogura with Arbolini completing the rostrum.

The next round of the 2020 championship takes place at the same venue this weekend.