After a hot and heavy start to the 2020 MotoGP World Championship season in Jerဣez, the series heads east for round three and the Czech Republic MotoGP in Brno.

With long, sweeping turns🌳 with plenty of elevation change, the Masaryk Circuit is in stark difference to that of Jerez and one that﷽ could provide a better clue as to who will be the rider to step up and prove their title credentials in the absence of one Marc Marquez…

While other rꦚiders are quick 🐎to play down the effect of Marquez’s absence – not to mention the pointed remarks that suggest it has any bearing on the ‘validity’ of a title win – there is no doubt they will be aware an opportunity is presenting itself right now.

To date, Fabio Quartararo has been the rider to take full advantage, his two impressive and we𒁃ll-judged wins proving if it needed to that he has the credentials of a title winner. However, those successes were achieved on a favourable Yamaha circuit, with Brno arguably representing the sterner test that will showcase exactly whether the Frenchman can lead from the front.

With this in mind, the more experienced Maverick Vinales could ❀be considered a greater favourite heading🦩 to Brno and though the Spaniard was pleased with his brace of seconds in Jerez, he will need to get the better of Quartararo in the Czech Republic to claw back some momentum.

𓄧On paper at least, Ducati and Andrea Dovizioso should be considered the pairing to beat, not only in Brno but the following double-header ꦆat the Red Bull Ring.

Circuits that have favoured the Ducati Desmosedici in recent years, i🍌t is where Dovizioso has take🥂n on – and regularly defeated – Marquez. Without the Spaniard there, stats suggest the path should be clearing for the Italian to succeed.

However, Dovizioso hasn’t been singing the praises of the GP20 to date and while ꦑhe may have been Marquez’s closest challenger for the past three seasons, if he doesn’t win one or more races over this three-week stretch then one would have to question whether it has the machine to rack up the necessary points elsewhere too.

Meanwhile, fellow Italiꦇan Valentino Rossi appeared to finally turn a corner on the latest 🧜generation Yamaha M1 as he made a long-awaited return to the podium in the Andalusia MotoGP...