2020 MotoGP Round Three – Brno

Monster Energy Grand Prix České Republiky

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MotoGP Facts and Stats

At the Andalucia GP, Fabio Quartararo became the first Yamaha rider to take back-to-back MotoGP wins after qualifying from pole position since Jorge Lorenzo in Valencia/2015 and Qatar/2016.

Quartararo became the first Yamaha rider to set pole position and the fastest lap of the race, to lead across the line on every lap and to win the race since Jorge Lorenzo in Valencia 2016, his last race for Yamaha to date.

In addition, Quartararo is also the first Independent Team rider to set pole position and the fastest lap of the race, to lead across the line on every lap and to win the race in MotoGP since its introduction in 2002.

Takaaki Nakagami finished fourth in Jerez, which is his best result in MotoGP as well as the best result for a Japanese rider in the class since Katsuyuki Nakasuga was second in Valencia 2012 in wet conditions.

With Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi, this is the first Yamaha 1-2-3 since Phillip Island back in 2014 and only the third since the introduction of MotoGP back in 2002.

In addition, this is the 20th 1-2-3 for a same manufacturer in MotoGP: Honda (17 times) and Yamaha (3 times).

13 riders crossed the line at the Andalucia GP, which is the smallest number of finishers in MotoGP since Catalunya last year (13 finishers as well).

Nine of the riders lining up for the MotoGP race at Brno have previously won Grand Prix races at the track: Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Joan Mir, Johann Zarco, Andrea Dovizioso, Alex Marquez, Cal Crutchlow, Tito Rabat and Miguel Oliveira.

At the Czech GP, Andrea Dovizioso is scheduled to make his 218th premier class start to equal MotoGP Legend Nicky Hayden in third place on the list of riders with most premier class starts behind Valentino Rossi (344) and Alex Barros (245).

At the Czech GP, Ducati will be aiming to become the fifth manufacturer to reach the milestone of 50 premier class wins, joining Honda (309), Yamaha (231), MV Agusta (139) and Suzuki (93).

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Fabio Quartararo takes back-to-back premier class wins

With his win at the Andalucia GP, Fabio Quartararo became the second-youngest rider to take back-to-back premier class win behind Marc Marquez.

Rider Age Race

1. Marc Marquez 20 years 154 days Germany/USA/2013
2. Fabio Quartararo 21 years 97 days Spain/Andalucia/2020
3. Freddie Spencer 21 years 104 days South Africa/France/1983
4. Johnny Cecotto 21 years 194 days Finland/Czech/1977
5. Casey Stoner 21 years 202 days Turkey/China/2007

Quartararo became the sixth rider to win his first two premier class races in seven days along with Umberto Masetti (Spa-Francorchamps/Assen in 1950), Gary Hocking (Hockenheim/Clermont-Ferrand 1961), Johnny Cecotto (Imatra/Brno 1977), Kenny Roberts (Salzburgring/Nogaro 1978) and Kenny Roberts Jr (Sepang/Motegi 1999).

In addition, he became the first French rider to win more than once in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.

Fabio Quartararo became the first rider to take back-to-back premier class wins in the same country since Marc Marquez in 2013 (USA/Indianapolis).

Fabio Quartararo became the first Independent Team rider to take back-to-back premier class wins since Marco Melandri in Turkey/Valencia in 2005 riding a Honda. In Brno, Quartararo will be aiming to become the first Independent Team rider to take three wins in a row in MotoGP (since its introduction in 2002).

Fabio Quartararo became the first Yamaha from an Independent Team to win more than once in the premier class since Garry McCoy in the 500cc class, who did it three times in 2000.

In Andalucia, Fabio Quartararo became the first Independent Team rider to take four successive premier class pole positions since the introduction of MotoGP in 2002.

In Brno, aged 21 years 111 days old, Quartararo will be aiming to become the second-youngest rider to win three races in a row in the premier class behind Marc Marquez (20 years 182 days old, Germany/USA/Indianapolis/2013).

Quartararo will also be aiming to become the first Yamaha rider to win the opening three premier class races of a season since Kenny Roberts in 1980 on his way to clinching the world title.

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Valentino Rossi nears 200 premier class podiums

Aged 41 years and 161 days old on race day in Jerez, Valentino Rossi became the first rider aged 41 or more to stand on the podium in the premier class since Jack Findlay in Austria back in 1977 (42 years and 85 days old).

Rossi became the seventh oldest rider to finish on the podium in the premier class of Grand Prix racing behind Karl Hoppe, Fergus Anderson, Ernst Hiller, Nello Pagani, Jack Findlay and Jack Ahearn.

In addition, he became the eighth different rider of 41 or older to have stood on the podium in the premier class along with Karl Hoppe, Fergus Anderson, Ernst Hiller, Nello Pagani, Jack Findlay, Jack Ahearn and Les Graham.

With his podium finish, Valentino Rossi extended his record of the longest time span between first and last premier class podium to 20 years and 87 days, becoming the first rider to reach the milestone of 20 years. His closest rival is Alex Barros (14 years and 341 days).

Fabio Quartararo was 1 year and 10 days old when Valentino Rossi stood on his first premier class podium in Jerez back in 2000.

In Brno, Valentino Rossi will be aiming to stand on the podium for the second successive time and to become the oldest rider to do so in the premier class since Jack Ahearn at the Belgian GP and the East German GP in 1966 (41 years and 282 days old).

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Grand Prix Racing in Brno

First used in 1965, this will be the 51st time that a Grand Prix event has been held here. The only venue that has hosted more Grand Prix events than Brno is Assen in The Netherlands, which has hosted the Dutch TT for 71 years of the motorcycling World Championship, a sequence that stopped this season with the cancellation of Dutch TT.

In 1965, the 500cc race was held over thirteen laps of the original 13.94 km long road circuit and won by Mike Hailwood on an MV Agusta in a time of 1 hour 11 min 23.2 sec. In 1975, the circuit was shortened to 10.92 km to improve safety. The last premier class race held on the road circuit at Brno was in 1977 and was won by Johnny Cecotto on a Yamaha. The circuit was subsequently considered too dangerous for the large capacity machines. The smaller capacity machines continued to compete in Grand Prix races on the Brno road circuit until 1982, before it was removed from the calendar.

The current circuit was first used for Grand Prix racing in 1987, hosting the Czechoslovakian GP until 1991. Brno did not appear on the calendar in 1992, but the event was back on the calendar in 1993 as the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic and has taken place every year since.

This will be the 33rd time that the current circuit has hosted a Grand Prix event, during which time the circuit has remained virtually unchanged. Minor modifications were made to the circuit in 1996 which extended the length from 5.394 km to the current 5.403 km.

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Most successful riders by wins at Brno

• Valentino Rossi – 7 (1x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP)
• Max Biaggi – 7 (4 x 250cc, 2 x 500cc, 1 x MotoGP)
• Giacomo Agostini – 7 (3 x 350cc, 4 x 500cc)
• Mike Hailwood – 6 (1 x 250cc, 2 x 350cc, 3 x 500cc)
• Phil Read – 6 (1 x 125cc, 3 x 250cc, 2 x 500cc)

Premier class wins at Brno by brand

1. Honda – 19
2. Yamaha – 12
3. MV Agusta – 7
4. Ducati – 3
5. Suzuki – 2

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Honda’s last win in the premier class at Brno: Marc Marquez in 2019, from pole.

Yamaha’s last win in the premier class at Brno: Jorge Lorenzo in 2015, from pole. Yamaha have had 12 wins in the premier class including six in MotoGP class 2002 with Max Biaggi (1), Valentino Rossi (3) and Jorge Lorenzo (2).

Ducati’s last win in the premier class at Brno: Andrea Dovizioso in 2018, from pole. Dovizioso crossed the line ahead of his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, making it the sixth and the most recent Ducati 1-2 in the premier class.

The last win for Suzuki at Brno was in the 500cc class in 1989, with Kevin Schwantz. Suzuki have had two podium finishes in MotoGP: second with John Hopkins in 2007 and third with Loris Capirossi in 2008.

The best result for an Aprilia rider at Brno in MotoGP is an eighth-place finish for Aleix Espargaro in 2017.

In 2017, Pol Espargaro was the only KTM rider across the line in Brno, in ninth place, which is the best result for the Austrian manufacturer at this track in the premier class. However, Johann Zarco qualified in third place last year, which was the first front row for KTM in the class.

There have only been two podium finishes for Czech riders at the current Brno circuit across all classes: Lukas Pesek was third in 125cc in 2007 on a Derbi, and Jakub Kornfeil was third in Moto3 in 2018 on a KTM.

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Monster Energy Grand Prix České Republiky Schedule

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au