Alex beats Marc for Virtual Misano victory, Rossi podium

Alex Marquez has won MotoGP's Virtual Race 4, at Misano, after snatching victory from brother Marc at the very final turn.

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc had been handed a surprise late lead when Alex and Fabio Quartararo wiped each other out on lap 7 of 9.

But both then hunted down the #93 to create a three-way final lap showdown.

Quartararo's charge ended when he fell from a close third at the penultimate corner, putting home hero Valentino Rossi on the podium, while Marc used too much rear brake into the final turn, ran wide and was passed by Alex on the inside.

It means 'rookie' Alex, who won the very first Virtual race at Mugello, has become the first double winner of the series while reigning champion Marc and nine-time world champion Rossi claimed their first digital podiums.

The race, featuring eleven riders, was held over 9 laps of the San Marino Grand Prix venue, equivalent to 35% of the real race distance.

Quartararo had taken his third Virtual pole position by almost one-second over Alex Marquez to start from the front of the grid and looked in danger of breaking clear until he lowsided on lap 3.

That put Alex into the lead, but by lap 5 Quartararo was back on the Repsol Honda rider's rear wheel, the pair then making contact on several occasions before their dramatic lap 7 tangle took them both out.

Quartararo recovered to fourth place after his last-lap error handed a podium present to Rossi, who grabbed a nearby trophy to wave in celebration.

Starting on row two, the Italian had been caught in a sandwich between Takaaki Nakagami and Marc Marquez on the run to turn one, then fell from fourth later on the opening lap after colliding with Alex.

Rossi's Monster Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales and fellow virtual race winner Francesco Bagnaia both crashed at the first turn. They then fell again in separate incidents, ending their recovery hopes and leaving them sixth and seventh at the finish, behind Suzuki's Joan Mir.

Nakagami, Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori, Avintia's Tito Rabat and Ducati test rider Michele Pirro completed the field.

Misano was the second race using the latest MotoGP 2020 Playstation game.

With the disrupted 2020 MotoGP season not due to begin for real until mid-July, further Virtual races are expected.