More, from a press release issued by Red Bull:

Acosta takes it to another level in Rookies Cup Race 2 at Aragón

Saturday’s Race 1 victory was perfect but Pedro Acosta still cranked it up a notch for Race 2. The 16-year-old Spaniard charged away on Lap 1 leaving the chasing pack to wonder what happened.

The excitement was there though, a fantastic seven rider contest for 2nd with the KTM RC 250 Rs frequently rubbing fairings.

Acosta had a 5 second margin at the end and celebrated hugely as the other places were sorted out at the last corner. Daniel Holgado and David Muñoz touched and crashed coming onto the start and finish while David Alonso took second.

Izan Guevara crossed the line 3rd but lost his podium place to Iván Ortolá for exceeding track limits on the last lap. David Salvador picked up 5th ahead of Daniel Muñoz who had served a long lap penalty with 5 laps to go.

Acosta untouchable

“I think there was no difference really in the bike today, the temperature was a little different but not much. The difference was that last night I was talking with my helper Paco (Francisco Marmol Oliva) and he told me that I had to make a good start and break the group in the first lap.”

“I did it and I want to thank the group around me, it is only they that understand how hard we work to achieve these things.”

“Going fast on the first lap is not easy but talking with the Rookies Cup team and those close to me we discussed that I must finish the warm up lap with speed and be mentally ready and focused to be fast at the start. It worked.”

Alonso made a step

After finishing 4th 4 times in Austria and 5th on Saturday the 14-year-old Colombian got his first podium and jumped to 2nd in the title chase. “That’s great, finally we are on the podium and 2nd. Very happy. It’s a pity that Acosta was so fast from the first lap and made a gap. I tried to go with him but I couldn’t, maybe next race.”

“So I fought in the group and the most important thing is that I was able to think where I needed to be on the last lap and put myself second in the group then took the lead of the group right at the end for second on the podium.”

“I know I need to keep improving.”

Ortolá is a racer

Though he only qualified 11th, the 16-year-old Spaniard took 3rd in both Aragón races. “Very happy with that. I made a very good start and could run with the big front group. I knew what I had to do on the last lap, I was at the back of the group but I managed to overtake one or two riders and get into a good position for the last corner.”

“I crossed the line 4th but got the podium with the other rider getting a penalty.”

“For next week I have to do a better job of qualifying, the racing is OK but I have to work on that.”

Guevara not impressed

“I’m not happy because on the last lap I was pushed wide,” explained the 16-year-old Spaniard. “It was not my fault that I went on the green but it was me that got penalised. I’m not happy but that’s racing. I enjoyed the race, it was a great race but not the last lap.”

Salvador frustrated

“It’s really strange,” explained the 16-year-old Spaniard who won here last year. “It was another good race, a big battle and that’s good but I can’t be happy because the feeling in my bike is just not as good as last year and we really don’t know why. It makes the racing very hard because I just don’t have the same confidence as last year.”

Holgado walks away

In the battle all the way and frequently at the front of the pack as he was on Saturday, the 15-year-old Spaniard was fortunately unhurt in the spectacular last corner crash. David Muñoz escaped with a gashed chin.

“It was another tough race. Like yesterday I didn’t enjoy the track conditions, I think it was worse. I did everything I could and we were at the front but through the last corner another rider touched me and we crashed. Lucky I am OK.”

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More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Magic number 8: Rins reigns MotorLand, Mir takes the Championship lead

Suzuki make it a day to remember with their best MotoGP™ results in first and third, with Alex Marquez taking another stunning podium in second

Sunday, 18 October 2020

2020 continues to serve up a stunner of a MotoGP™ season, and there have now been eight different premier class winners. In the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon, it was Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the top step as the Suzuki rider took his first victory since Silverstone 2019, slicing up from tenth on the grid to fend off another late charge from rookie superstar Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who took second and the 850th premier class podium for Honda. Third place went to Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), the number 36 back on the rostrum and the new Championship leader after a tough day at the office for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).

As the lights went out, it was Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who was off like a shot from second on the grid, the number 12 carving his way to the front immediately round the outside of Turn 2 as the Petronas Yamahas duelled behind, and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) headed a bit wide. Soon enough though, Viñales’ closest company came from Rins as the Suzuki rider sliced through from tenth to get past Morbidelli and Quartararo, homing in on the number 12 in the lead.

Stalking the Monster Energy Yamaha for a couple of laps, Rins chose his moment at the final corner and took a tight, tight line to sweep up the inside for the lead, neatly done to take over at the front. Just behind, things were getting spicy as Mir had managed a two-for-one past the Petronas Yamahas with a similar move up into third, and Alex Marquez was on a charge.

Rins, Viñales, Mir… the trio at the front remained pretty close together as the cat and mouse began, with Marquez the man making serious gains. As the number 73 arrived on the scene, Mir seemingly decided enough was enough, slicing through on Viñales at the final corner. To compound Viñales’ chagrin, Marquez then made a stunner of a late dive past the Yamaha into Turn 1 too…

Up ahead, Rins remained ahead but it was far from becoming a runaway win. As the laps ticked down, the number 42 retained the close company from teammate Mir and Alex Marquez, but the next move wouldn’t threaten for the lead. With six to go, and again at the final corner, the number 73 Repsol Honda swooped past Mir to take over in second, Alex Marquez on for his second second place in a row. Or was he?

Once past, the Honda was closing. And not in thousandths or hundredths, but really reeling Rins in. Alex Marquez was over three tenths faster with four laps remaining, and looked seriously primed for a shot at the win. But Rins was holding station, and then a major warning came Marquez’ way at the final corner with two laps and a corner to go. The number 73 was out the seat as he squeezed on the gas and lot some ground, but he gathered it back up and set his sights back on the Suzuki.

Rins had a three tenth lead with two to go, and coming onto the last lap, it remained at 0.3 seconds. Marquez had to try and get close enough to get into the slipstream down the back straight, but Rins got his GSX-RR hooked up nicely and the Honda man wasn’t close enough to try his inside sweeping move. Despite the pressure, Rins made no mistakes. rising over the brow of the hill and making it to the line with two tenths in hand. The eighth winner in eight races and eighth of the season, back on the top step for the first time in over a year – and Marquez, despite losing out on the win, back on the podium for the second time in a week.

Mir had to keep an eye out for Viñales on the final couple of laps, and Morbidelli had Nakagami for company in the battle for the top five. In the end, Mir came out on top in the fight for third but again, by only a couple of tenths, but it’s enough to see him take the title lead as Quartararo plummeted through the field. Viñales also made a big gain in points given that, coming home off the podium but the second Championship challenger over the line.

Nakagami kept up his 100% top 10 finish record in 2020 with a superb P5, the Honda rider managing to beat Morbidelli on the last lap for the honour of top Independent Team rider too. That’s the number 30’s second top five of the season..  and he’s only 29 points off Mir!

After a difficult weekend, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) salvaged P7 on race day to sit closer to the top of the Championship than he did before the lights went out, top Borgo Panigale machine on Sunday and still in the hunt. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), after a tough start, was able to climb back up to P8. The two Ducatis of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) completed the top 10, not what either would have been expecting heading into the weekend.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led teammate Pol Espargaro across the line as the Austrian factory suffered a difficult Sunday taking P11 and P12, with Aleix Espargaro  (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) finishing just under a second from his younger brother in P13. Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) grabbed P14 to finish ahead of the final point scorer – Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team).

So where was Quartararo? The former points leader, after struggling with front tyre pressure, went from off the podium to fringes of the top ten to end up outside the points in P18. After a heroic pole position taken despite his big FP3 crash, the Frenchman had one of his toughest Sundays yet in the premier class… but he’ll be fired up to try and hit back next week. Mir now leads on 121 as Quartararo remains on 115, with Viñales third with 109. Dovizioso has 106, still very much in touch…

That’s all Bibendum wrote at the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon, with another huge swing in momentum in the title fight. Whose way will it go next week? Find out in less than seven days as MotoGP™ get back on track for the Gran Premio Liqui Moly de Teruel on Friday.