PARIS Alex Marquez got one over on his MotoGP champion brother Marc Marquez with a resounding victory in Sunday’s Virtual Race. This year will be Alex Marquez’s first in the MotoGP ranks, after winning last season’sMoto2 championship, but racing onthetrackis on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet star riders scratched a competitive itch while hunkeringdownathomebytaking part in the console simulation of a six-lap grand prix at Mugello. The Italian circuit is onewhere bothMarquez brothers have tasted success, with AlexwinninginMoto2lastyear andMarclandingaMotoGPtriumph in 2014 – as well as previous Moto2 and 125cc victories. The Marquez siblings are teaming up this year with Repsol Honda, after Jorge Lorenzo’s retirement, and will hope to soon be engaging in wheel-to-wheel action rather than such pseudo-racing. Sunday’s race was every rider for himself nevertheless, and 23-year-oldAlex Marquez left his 27-year-old brother standing. Pramac Ducati rider Francesco ‘Pecco’Bagnaiawas second, Maverick Vinales took third, and Fabio Quartararo finished fourth, with Marc Marquez down in fifth position.—AFP
