MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez's title hopes hanging in balance after nasty crash at Jerez | Maiden victory for Frenchman Fabio Quartararo

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez’s hopes of winning the MotoGP title for a seventh time are hanging in the balance after the Spanish star broke his arm in a nasty crash at Jerez in Spain.
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez broke his right arm following a crash at Jerez in Spain on Sunday.MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez broke his right arm following a crash at Jerez in Spain on Sunday.
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez broke his right arm following a crash at Jerez in Spain on Sunday.

In a drama-filled race, Petronas Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo became France’s first premier class winner in almost 21 years as he earned a deserved maiden MotoGP victory ahead of Maverick Vinales, with Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso completing the top three on the factory Ducati.

Marquez had earlier pulled off an astonishing save on his knee as he led the first race of the revamped 2020 season, somehow managing to stay on his factory Repsol Honda after taking to the gravel following the incident on lap five.

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He returned to the track in 16th position and battled his way through the field to slot into a third place.

However, with four laps to go, Marquez suffered a huge high-side at Turn 3 as he chased after Monster Energy Yamaha’s Vinales in second place.

He landed heavily on the track and slid into the gravel, where he was struck on his upper arm by the front wheel of his machine, resulting in a broken right humerus.

The 27-year-old will travel to Barcelona for surgery on Monday and will be operated on by Dr Xavier Mir and his team on Tuesday.

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A statement from his Honda team said it was unclear how long Marquez would be out of action, but he is almost certain to miss this weekend’s Grand Prix of Andalucia, which will again be held at Jerez.

Emotional race winner Quartararo said: “It’s the best moment of my life for sure. It’s the first race without the fans and I would love for them to be here but this race was for them and for all the people affected by Covid.

“This is for my family, my parents and my brother for supporting me.”

Vinales was the early leader on his Yamaha M1 until Marquez took over at Dani Pedrosa corner on lap two. His near-miss three laps later dropped him to the rear of the field as Vinales hit the front.

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Pole man Quartararo, who had dropped to fourth place in the opening stages, was on the move and soon picked off Aussie Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) to go second.

A moment on the brakes for Vinales at the final turn allowed Quartararo through and from there, the Frenchman began to ease away.

He won comfortably in the end by 4.6 seconds from Vinales, with Dovizioso getting the better of Miller for third.

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) completed the top six.

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Valentino Rossi retired from the race with seven laps remaining.

LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow was ruled out of the race after suffering 'concussion and neck trauma' following a tumble in morning warm-up.

In the Moto3 race, John McPhee crashed at the final corner on the last lap as he contended for the lead, while fellow Briton Sam Lowes finished fourth in the Moto2 race.

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