FIM MotoGP™ Awards Ceremony brings 2019 to a close
Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana bid farewell to 2019 with another three awesome races to close out the season, and in the evening the FIM Awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the year – with Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Viñales taking centre stage. And Marquez more than most was in the spotlight as he received his MotoGP™ World Champion trophy after another season of record-breaking and an eighth world title.
The 2019 Awards were hosted by Gavin Emmett and Marina Lorenzo, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Jorge Viegas in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening to all the winners this season.
Youngest ever eight-time World Champion Marquez took top billing as he received his record-breaking MotoGP™ trophy, along with his brother, Moto2™ World Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), and Moto3™ World Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) after their incredible seasons.
The top three in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup inaugural year were also honoured, with Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE), joined by runner Up Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) and Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing).
The top Independent Team rider title went to Fabio Quartararo (Petonas Yamaha SRT) after another stunning podium for the rookie earlier in the day, and this year’s MotoGP™ Rookie of the Year award was also presented to the Frenchman.
In Moto2™, MB Conveyors Speed Up’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was crowned Rookie of the Year, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) taking that honour in Moto3™.
The BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP™ class went to Marquez for the seventh year in a row, the Repsol Honda Team picked up the MotoGP™ Team world title trophy, and Honda took the MotoGP™ Constructor Title in the premier class. Kalex came out on top in Moto2™, and Honda in Moto3™.
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Carlos Tatay, Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion Sho Nishumura, and British Talent Cup Champion Scott Ogden were also applauded for their seasons, as were the top three in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship: Champion Jeremy Alcoba, Tatay once again and impressive rookie Xavier Artigas – fresh from a first ever Grand Prix podium earlier in the day after a stunning Moto3™ race.
And so the curtain falls, and we lose a legend from the grid as Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) bows out. The five-time World Champion will be named a MotoGP™ Legend next year. And next year, we’ll be open for business for another incredible season of racing once again.
