Debrief: MotoGP™’s record-breaking Virtual Races in numbers

After five events comprising 10 Virtual Races in total – including two full Virtual Grands Prix – Dorna Sports’ run of virtual races for the MotoGP™, Moto2™, Moto3™ and MotoE™ grids has now come to an end. 64 riders from 48 teams have taken part across the four categories, including the likes of reigning MotoGP™ Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), nine-time Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and MotoGP™ Legend Jorge Lorenzo, who returned to wildcard with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP… and won.

If the Virtual Races had been a Championship, it was Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) locking out the top three overall in the premier class – for Marquez and Viñales, despite not taking part in every event. Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) topped the tables in Moto2™, and Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Stefano Nepa (Aspar Team Gaviota) were 1-2 on equal points in Moto3™. Trentino Gresini MotoE’s Matteo Ferrari was top after the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup virtual race, the 2019 Cup winner coming out on top in the virtual world as well.

The series of virtual races has seen more than 3,100 pieces of digital content created, generating more than 10 million interactions. Content published about the virtual races has made 331 million impressions and had 52 million video views, of which 12 million were fans watching the events live. In total, there have been more than 31 million minutes of video consumed which, incredibly, is the equivalent of 60 years watching non-stop.

motogp.com and esport.motogp.com showed the events, as well as selected TV broadcasters, and fans tuned in across social media platforms including YouTube (via the MotoGP and MotoGP eSport channels), MotoGP eSport Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport pages) and Twitch via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport.

As well as the live streams and digital content online, fans were also able to watch the events around the world thanks to our incredible broadcast partners, including but not limited to Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN (in Spain, Italy and DACHS), BT Sport in the UK, ServusTV in Austria and Germany, Fox Asia, Fox Australia, Viasat in Sweden, NBC in the USA, Fox Brazil and ESPN in Latin America, Motorsport TV Russia, Eurosport India, TEN, and SuperSport across Africa – covering every continent bar one.

The Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain was also more than a Virtual Grand Prix, as the riders did battle in aid of the official charity of MotoGP™, Two Wheels for Life. The charity launched a campaign with the goal of raising funds for their vital work fighting coronavirus on two wheels – ensuring the delivery of test results, education and equipment to hard to reach communities to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other dangerous diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by way of African run and led programmes in five different countries.

Watch the 'season recap' highlights from the Virtual Races!

That’s it from the Virtual Races – with millions of fans entertained, a few riders picking up a new skill, and a good cause supported by the initiative too. Dorna Sports would like to extend our thanks to broadcasters, partners, sponsors, riders, teams and more for their dedication to making each event such an incredible success, as well as to the millions of fans who tuned in around the globe – and contributed to the Two Wheels for Life campaign.

That's not it from MotoGP™ eSport. In the coming weeks, fans can get their virtual racing fix with the MotoGP eSport Championship with the brand new WINDTRE Rising Star Series*, a Talent Cup program aimed at uncovering and promoting eSport talent around the world.

That's not even all, as the Global Series – after the contestants were announced last week – is getting closer than ever. Stay tuned for more info, and make sure to head to MotoGP™’s home on the web for other news, videos and content if you missed some of the stunning action in our virtual races.

*More on the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series: 2020 also sees another exciting addition to the Championship: the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series. An eSport Talent Cup programme, Rising Stars will consist of four time-attack Online Challenges separated by world regions (Americas, Europe/Africa, Asia/Oceania) and three online Regional Finals (one per region). Regional winners will be awarded a guaranteed place in the 2021 Draft and there are more awesome prizes up for grabs too!