Alex on last-turn showdown: 'Marc's mentality was the opposite!'

Alex Marquez claimed a last-turn Virtual victory over brother and reigning MotoGP champion Marc in Sunday's Misano broadcast.

In real life, only Andrea Dovizioso and Alex Rins have snatched a MotoGP win by overtaking the reigning six-time champion at the final corner of a race.

Alex on last-turn showdown: 'Marc's mentality was the opposite!'

Alex Marquez claimed a last-turn Virtual victory over brother and reigning MotoGP champion Marc in Sunday's Misano broadcast.

In real life, only Andrea Dovizioso and Alex Rins have snatched a MotoGP win by overtaking the reigning six-time champion at the final corner of a race.

But in the virtual world, Marc is a clear step behind 'rookie' Alex, who has now won two of the four digital races, arranged by Dorna to help fill the void in the disrupted 2020 calendar.

Indeed, while the video game graphics may be impressive, Marc's tactics couldn't have been more different to real-life for most of the Misano race as he adopted a play-it-safe approach... until the final corner.

After failing to finish on the podium in the previous incident-packed Virtual races, and well aware other riders were faster than him, the #93's main aim at Misano was 'don't fall'.

So keen was he to stay out of trouble that - whereas at Jerez he deliberately slowed down in the closing stages to enjoy a battle for fourth with Danilo Petrucci - when caught by Alex early in the Misano race, Marc pulled over to hand second-place behind Fabio Quartararo to his brother, rather than risk a tangle.

"I used my tactic which was try to stay on the bike, this was the most important," Marc said afterwards.

Marc was the only frontrunner not to fall at least once during the hectic nine-lap contest, a clash between Alex and Quartararo then rewarding him with the race lead with two laps to go.

But the 27-year-old was soon hunted down by the pair of youngsters, putting all three nose-to-tail with just a few corners to go. But Quartararo overdid it, lowsiding at the penultimate corner (his third accident of the race).

Then, with a surprise victory in sight, Marc's discipline finally broke down.

"The last corner was my mistake because, maybe I was nervous, and I pressed too much the button for the rear brake. Then I began to slide and it was like in reality, I had the floating feeling and I went wide!"

Alex had the opposite tactic, successfully betting on a clean exit to defeat his brother.

"When I saw Marc in the last corner I tried to brake early and then attack in the acceleration," he said. "Marc's mentality was the opposite, he tried to attack the brake point like in reality and then the floating came and I said, 'okay, I need to accelerate well' and I won!"

Marc quipped: "Alex, in the video game I accept. In reality it will be different! Now you can enjoy, we will have dinner together, but be careful!"

With fellow Virtual winners Maverick Vinales and Francesco Bagnaia finishing just sixth and seventh due to accidents at Misano, Alex has now broken clear for the unofficial series lead.

"I was so nervous because Pecco and Maverick had also won a race each and we were all equal [on points], so I said 'this one I need to win'," Alex said. "But Fabio was the fastest today for sure, one second per lap faster [than everyone in qualifying]."

Quartararo rejoined to finish fourth, handing the final podium position to 'home' star Valentino Rossi who, like Marc, had not finished on the digital rostrum before.

"So far it's my best race in the MotoGP game and now I can retire from the game!" Marc joked.

"A shame that my brother beat me in the last corner but we will have a nice discussion because I don’t like to lose the race in the last corner! But anyway, if I need to lose to somebody I prefer my brother!"

Alex is now 15-points clear at the top of the standings from Vinales, with Bagnaia a further point behind. Marc is in fourth place, 29 points behind his brother.

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