Vinales: I crashed twice, so I didn't expect to win

Maverick Vinales overcame two crashes to take his debut Virtual MotoGP victory, at the Grand Prix of Spain.

Broadcast on the same day as the real Jerez race was due to take place, eleven riders competed over 13 laps (half the actual distance) of the Spanish venue, with the latest MotoGP 2020 Playstation game being used for the first time.

Vinales: I crashed twice, so I didn't expect to win

Maverick Vinales overcame two crashes to take his debut Virtual MotoGP victory, at the Grand Prix of Spain.

Broadcast on the same day as the real Jerez race was due to take place, eleven riders competed over 13 laps (half the actual distance) of the Spanish venue, with the latest MotoGP 2020 Playstation game being used for the first time.

Vinales was third on the unofficial Virtual Race points standings heading into the Jerez event, losing out on victory to Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) after a last lap 'pass on the grass' at the previous Red Bull Ring round.

But Monster Yamaha rider got his revenge when Bagnaia threw away a six-second lead in the closing stages, handing the advantage to Vinales who crossed the line 2.3s clear of round one winner Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda).

It was a remarkable recovery for Vinales, who was among those taken down at turn one, then fell again while chasing Marquez.

But the #12 regained his composure and moved swiftly up the order in the second half of the race, when errors by Alex Marquez and then Bagnaia put Vinales upfront with just one and a half laps to go.

"The race has been quite exciting, because I battled a lot. I crashed two times, so I didn't expect to win that race, but I kept a good rhythm and I did many fast laps in a row," Vinales said.

"For me it was really good that I was able to keep my concentration until I crossed the finish line. But anyway I would have been happy, because this race is for a charity event, Two Wheels for Life, and I hope this helped them raise a good amount of money to help people in Africa battle Covid-19.

"I want to thank Yamaha and all the staff because the bike was fantastic!" he joked.

"On a serious note, a sincere thanks to all the fans who are watching us race virtually. It‘s helping us and motivating us to do things that make these challenging times easier, so we can all do better and be happier."

Vinales is now tied with Alex Marquez and Bagnaia for the lead of the unofficial Virtual points standings.

Monster Yamaha, like most teams, was only allowed to put forward one rider for the latest Virtual event and 'having discussed the options within the team, Maverick Vinales was nominated' over team-mate Valentino Rossi.

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