Petrucci wins unpredictable French GP as points leaders struggle

Danilo Petrucci took victory at the French GP for the Factory Ducati squad, as Petronas SRT Yamaha racer Fabio Quartararo struggled to ninth. 

The victory is the second of his career and the 7th different winner of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship.

Having started from third on the grid the Italian held his own on the first lap before a late lunge down the inside of Jack Miller into turn 3 launched him into the race lead.

Repsol Honda rider Alex Marquez took a surprise second place finish with fellow Spaniard Pol Espargaro rounding up the podium.

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The race start was delayed due to rain on the grid, allowing the riders to assess the circuit conditions, the race later being declared by race stewards as ‘wet’ meaning riders could swap bikes at any time.

Pole man Quartararo struggled throughout the 26-lap event having lost the lead at the start before coming under attack from the KTM of Pol Espargaro as they fought for 4th place.

The number 20 rider continued to lose ground in the early stages as he went from P1 to P8 within just three laps before dropping further to 10th after Alex Marquez passed the Frenchman at Turn 4.

Marquez also slipped down the inside of Tech 3 KTM rider Miguel Oliveira in the same move.

The number 73 man made further impressive progress as the laps tallied up, eventually putting his RC-213V in a position to hunt down the Ducati’s of Petrucci and Dovizioso in first and second.

There was early heartbreak for Valentino Rossi as the number 46 Factory Yamaha rider hit the deck on the very first lap as he entered the notorious Turn 3, the seven-time premier class champion losing the rear of his M1 as he tapped the throttle on corner exit.

SRT man Franco Morbidelli was another rider to retire early from the race when his Yamaha suffered a mechanical failure, a situation which later plagued the Pramac Ducati of Jack Miller.

Alex Rins was on fine form for the majority of the event, the Ecstar Suzuki man challenging for the podium several times, but a mistake into Turn 3 caused him to tumble and catch a marshal’s wheel strap on the back of his GSX-RR.

The incident resulted in the number 42 man receiving a blag flag which forced him to lose positions and he ended the race in 16th place.

Difficulties also befell the riders of Bradley Smith, Tito Rabat, both of whom crashed at Turn 14, whilst brit Cal Crutchlow crashed later on Lap 18 when he low-sided into the gravel at Turn 4.

As a result, all three riders were forced to retire form the race.

Finishers outside the top-10 include Joan Mir, Brad Binder, and Miler’s Pramac team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, with Tech 3 man Iker Lecuona ending his race in 15th just below the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro.

2020 French MotoGP Race Result