Morbidelli Secures Third Victory In Valencia GP

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT) rider, Franco Morbidelli claimed his third victory this season after winning the Valencia Grand Prix (GP) at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain, Sunday. The 25-year-old Italian pole sitter took charge right from the start of the race but had to fight neck-to-neck with Australian Jack Miller of Pramac Racing in the final lap before romping home with a time of 41 minutes 22.478 seconds. Morbidelli had before this clinched victories at the San Marino GP and also the Teruel GP. Miller came in second, adrift by 0.093 seconds, while Spaniard Pol Espargaro of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing finished in third, clocking 41:25.484 seconds in the 27-lap race. Morbidelli’s teammate, Fabio Quartararo of France, failed to finish the race after being involved in a crash in lap nine turn six which dashed his hopes in the hunt for the MotoGP world title. MotoGP leader, Spaniard Joan Mir of Team Suzuki Ecstar, emerged as MotoGP world champion this season despite finishing in seventh place (41:31.181 seconds) in today’s race. He accumulated 171 points after 13 races with one race remaining. Mir is the second Suzuki rider to win the MotoGP world title since American Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000. Meanwhile, Petronas Sprinta Racing rider, Xavi Vierge of Spain, came in 13th place in the Moto2 category after posting 40 minutes 15.720 seconds in the 25-lap race. His teammate, Jake Dixon of Great Britain did not feature in today’s race after undergoing surgery on his right wrist in the United Kingdom this week. Two Malaysian riders -- Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of Inde Aspar Team Moto2 and Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of OneXoX TKKR SAG Team, came in 19th and 20th place, clocking 40:44.293 seconds and 40:49.017 seconds, respectively. In the Moto3 category, Petronas Sprinta Racing rider, John McPhee came in 11th place with a time of 38:30.341 seconds in the 23-lap race, while his teammate Malaysian Khairul Idham Pawi failed to complete the race after involving in a crash in the 21st lap. -- BERNAMA