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The Yamaha MotoGP battle brewing at Misano

Having been beaten in all races they've finished this year, Maverick Vinales needs to turn the tide on Yamaha MotoGP rival Fabio Quartararo at Misano. Close over one lap and on race pace, all roads point to the pair locking horns on Sunday for victory

Lewis Duncan Sep 11, 2020, 3:41 PM

The 2020 MotoGP season's second of four triple-headers got underway on Friday with practice at Misano for the San Marino Grand Prix. If we consider the grouping of races from August to November as individual phases, then surely the September phase of Misano 1&2/Catalunya must be one that Yamaha has to define as the point in which it emerged as the championship's true leader.

Last month's Brno/Red Bull Ring triple-header was largely a disaster for Yamaha, coming off the back of Fabio Quartararo romping to back-to-back wins at Jerez on his Petronas SRT M1, with the works team bike of Maverick Vinales trailing him.

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Author Lewis Duncan

Lewis Duncan is Autosport's International Editor and primary motorcycle racing reporter. A motorsport fan from a young age, Lewis became interested in journalism when he won the star letter competition in the February 2012 issue of F1 Racing Magazine. A member of the Autosport Academy from 2017, Lewis became a freelance motorcycle racing correspondent for Autosport in 2019 before becoming a full-time staffer in 2020 as International Editor.

While MotoGP coverage is his priority, Lewis also covers World Superbikes and road racing across the Motorsport Network, and hosts the Tank Slappers Podcast. He has also occasionally commentated on 750 Motor Club meetings. Away from motorsport, Lewis is a keen record collector with a collection unashamedly largely featuring Iron Maiden and Rush and an avid guitar player.