Jorge Lorenzo wins Virtual British MotoGP
Jorge Lorenzo has won the fifth edition of MotoGP's Virtual Playstation races, a 'Michelin Virtual British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The triple world champion and new Yamaha test rider made an instant impact by qualifying on pole position for his virtual debut, being joined on the front row by Quartararo and Nakagami.
Quartararo then cut inside Lorenzo to lead through turn one, while Lorenzo was clattered by Nakagami on the entry to Maggotts, leaving the Spaniard on the ground.
Jorge Lorenzo has won the fifth edition of MotoGP's Virtual Playstation races, a 'Michelin Virtual British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The triple world champion and new Yamaha test rider made an instant impact by qualifying on pole position for his virtual debut, being joined on the front row by Quartararo and Nakagami.
Quartararo then cut inside Lorenzo to lead through turn one, while Lorenzo was clattered by Nakagami on the entry to Maggotts, leaving the Spaniard on the ground.
Another Yamaha hit the desk soon after when Quartararo lowsided just behind Nakagami, putting Tito Rabat into second place.
Rabat took the lead when Nakagami made a mistake halfway through the 10-lap race (50% of real race distance), with the recovering Lorenzo now two-seconds behind while Nakagami re-joined in third.
Lorenzo chipped steadily away at Rabat's lead, moving ahead with two laps remaining and pulling 1.2s clear by the chequered flag for his first Yamaha 'win' since Valencia 2016.
Avintia Ducati's Rabat was the only rider not to fall on his way to second, while Quartararo - consistently the fastest man in recent Virtual races - had to overcome three crashes before salvaging a debut virtual podium by passing Nakagami on the final lap.
Italian test riders Michele Pirro (Ducati) and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) were a distant fifth and sixth.
Francesco Bagnaia was the only previous Virtual winner taking part but admitted to struggling with the latest 2020 version of the game and qualified on the last row. The Pramac Ducati rider then fell no less than four times on his way to seventh.
The final rider, Suzuki's Joan Mir, fell at turn one and was not classified.
Former winners Alex Marquez (2) and Maverick Vinales (1) were not among the eight riders taking part in the fifth round.
The Virtual race will be the only time MotoGP competes at Silverstone this year, with the real British Grand Prix dropped from the shortened 2020 calendar.
Likewise, cost-cutting and closed-paddock measures mean Lorenzo will be unable to make a planned wild-card entry this season.
That was the last planned Virtual race, with MotoGP aiming to start the 2020 season at Jerez on July 19 and 24.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
