Fabio Quartararo won from pole position at the Andalucia Grand Prix on Sunday for his second consecutive win since the 2020 MotoGP season.
The 21-year-old rider, who already won the opening race at Jerez last weekend finished first followed by Monster Energy Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales finished second after a spirited battle in the closing laps with teammate Valentino Rossi.
Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez did not race after breaking his right arm in last weekend’s Spanish GP. He participated in the practice sessions and qualifying but ended up opting out of the race.
With his retirement from first racing then his withdrawal this Sunday, the defending world champion Marquez will have to whip to catch up with Quartararo.
Starting from pole position, Quartararo quickly flew away. Behind the Yamaha rider, Rossi blocked Maverick Vinales for a long time and allowed Frenchman rider to take a good lead at the head of the race.
“I had a few moments during the race. I feel one of the hardest races of my life.” Quartararo said.
Nine-time world champion Rossi captured his first points of the season in the MotoGP standings with third place. The Italian quit after eighteen laps last weekend after riding around the track anonymously due to a wrong tyre choice. It is his first podium finish since the Austin GP in April 2019.
With a second victory in as many races this season, Quartararo already has a good lead over his rivals in the world championship standings with 50 points. Second overall, Vinales has only 40 points, 10 points behind the MotoGP standings leader.
Eleven more races are scheduled in MotoGP, all of which will be completed without fans. In two weeks the riders will settle in Brno for the GP of the Czech Republic on August 9.
