Say what you will about the 2020 MotoGP season, but it has been a rollercoaster to watch. From Marc Marquez’s early injury, to Quartararo’s championship lead ebbing and flowing in the early rounds, to the nine different winners, and finally to Mir’s coronation in Valencia, this year’s racing has been one hell of a ride, and nothing short of fantastic viewing for the audiences stuck at home across the globe. We’ve been treated to thirteen rounds of excellent racing (fourteen if you’re a Moto2/Moto3 fan), and now the show reaches it’s conclusion at the Portimao circuit in Portugal for the final race of this unpredictable 2020 season.
How fitting it is that the final track we visit this season is nicknamed ‘the rollercoaster’, then. A track that has never held a MotoGP race but is instead a regular on the World Superbike calendar, Portimao is a physical circuit full of changes of elevation and tricky, technical corners. It brings with it many challenges for the riders, but perhaps the most unusual challenge will be that the vast majority of them are going into this circuit blind. Asides from Oliveira, who tests here regularly as the sole Portugese rider in the paddock, and the small number of test riders and Aprilia/KTM members who got a chance to test Portimao out earlier this year, almost all of the paddock have never had track time on the rollercoaster.
Will this give any kind of advantage to Oliveira? It appears unlikely. The Tech3 rider has tested here numerous times, but the track was resurfaced earlier in 2020, and that should help to level the playing field somewhat. In addition, these are MotoGP riders, some of the most talented men on the planet, and they should all adapt fairly quickly to this curve ball they’re being thrown. Indeed, Oliveira has claimed in interviews that he expects his advantage to last about as long as the first practice session, and other riders have supported this claim.
Who, then, will have the upper hand come Sunday? It’s hard to tell with the limited data we have available, but some fair assumptions can be made. The tight, flowing nature of the circuit should benefit the Suzukis and Yamahas, the lack of long straights is likely a detriment to the Ducatis. The impressive cornering of the Hondas could come into play, and the KTMs and Aprilias should make up some ground in the braking zones. It’s a tough call to make, but if I had to name the favourites it would have to be the Suzukis and Yamahas.
The Suzuki team likely doesn’t need the leg up, however. Rins and Mir have been on an unbelievable tear of good form lately, with four double podiums in the last six races and both the rider’s championship and team championship locked up. People have been claiming that the 2020 Suzuki is the best bike on the grid, and their opposition have backed that claim up, with riders like Quartararo and Vinales praising the versatility of the bike. It appears to have few weaknesses – save the fact that qualifying continues to be a serious issue for both riders – and having a circuit that suits the machine should be a boon to both Suzuki riders.
The Yamahas are in almost the opposite situation. After starting the season with a slew of podiums and consistent strong qualifying results, the tail end of this year has been nothing short of disastrous for Rossi, Vinales and Quartararo. Hamstrung by engine troubles and struggling with consistency, the 2020 Yamaha riders have had one of the most difficult campaigns of any manufacturer on the grid. There is one saving grace in the form of Morbidelli and his 2019 spec bike, who has won two races from the last three and is in the fight for second place in the championship. For the rest, a strong finish to their season may be more of a struggle than they’re letting on.
It is also a sad weekend as the paddock says farewell to Cal Crutchlow. The brit will race his final race as a full time MotoGP rider on Sunday, and bows out as one of the most influential riders of the last decade. After ten years in the MotoGP he has managed nineteen podiums and three wins, the most of any British rider since the turn of the century, and his presence as the cheeky underdog will be sorely missed. We also say goodbye to Andrea Dovizioso, who will be taking a sabatical leave for 2021 but hopes to return to racing in 2022. Whether than happens or not, he has shown an incredible amount of class and talent in his tenure in Grand Prix racing, and much like Cal will be missed by all who knew him or watched him race.
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