How time flies. On this day in 2019 a new and expanded MotoGP™ eSport Championship concluded with a stunning finale in Valencia in which Italian hotshot AndrewZH claimed his maiden eSport crown!
The Ricardo Tormo Circuit outside Valencia, Spain played host to a star-studded final round of the Global Series, which featured appearances from three MotoGP™ riders, a roster of glitzy prizes and high drama than had all in attendance on the very edge of their seats.
Grand Prix world champions Jorge Lorenzo and Pol Espargaro and MotoGP™ race winner Danilo Petrucci were on hand to watch proceedings and offer up advice to the twelve finalists, who had to attack Australia’s Phillip Island and Spain’s Jerez Angel Nieto Circuit in the two races.
In the end just five points covered the first three riders – Ducati Team’s AndrewZh, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s trastevere73 and Cristianmm17, representing Team Suzuki ECSTAR – in the Global Series standings. All three contested the podium places in the final race, with the victory fight going right the way to the final corner.
From the first lap of race one, trastevere73 heeded stormed into an early lead from pole position ahead of adrianDP26 (Team Suzuki ECSTAR). The early exchanges were akin to the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, with as many as ten riders contesting the leading positions. But reigning champion trastevere73 eventually broke clear, demonstrating his trademark consistency from the first lap to the end to win by 2.033s.
The double points on offer in the final round meant trastevere73 led AndrewZh by just 6 points going of the final race. Cristianmm17 ensured it was a three-way fight until the end, 21 points back.
The season finale would prove to be a lights-to-flag triumph for Cristianmm17. Ghosted by AndrewZh and trastevere73 in the early laps, the Team Suzuki ECSTAR gamer remained calm in the face of relentless pressure from AndrewZh, who knew second place enough to secure his maiden MotoGP™ eSport crown. A trastevere73 mistake on the seventh lap ultimately decided the contest.
A tearful AndrewZh accepted the brilliant first prize of a rapid BMW M135i xDrive before Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta handed out the silverware in the final podium ceremony. While disappointed on missing the chance to win his third successive eSports title, trastevere73 picked up a new Yamaha YZF-R3 for finishing second overall. Cristianmm17 received a Lenovo™ Legion Y730 high-speed computer as reward for third.
There are similar prizes available for the leading names in the 2020 MotoGP eSport™ Global Series, which has one round to play. As it stands, Williams_Adrian has been the standout competitor, but with double points on offer at the final round anything can happen! The date of it will be announced soon.
The final round of 2020 will be broadcast on MotoGP™ eSport YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, on MotoGP™ social channels, esport.motogp.com, motogp.com and selected TV broadcast partners. Be sure to tune in on November 27th at 4pm (GMT+1). You won’t want to miss it!
