This weekend, MotoGP heads to the Czech Republic for the Grand Prix held at the famous Brno race track. The third round of this crazy, tightly packed season in 2020 will get underway on Friday August 7. But without last year’s winner Marc Marquez not competing this weekend, who will come out on top?

Breaking news came out this morning that Marc Marquez would not be competing in the Czech GP this weekend after undergoing surgery for a second time on his broken arm. The titanium plate in his arm was replaced due to damage as a result of ‘stress accumulation’. Another Grand Prix will be missed by the reigning World Champion which will cause a massive dent into his championship hopes this season. He will be replaced this weekend by Stefan Bradl.

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Fabio Quartararo comes into this weekend as championship leader after two wins on the bounce for the Frenchman at Jerez in consecutive weeks. He sits at the top with 50 points - the maximum he could have taken from the previous two races. Close behind him on 40 points is factory Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales who will be looking to make up some ground on his championship rival Quartararo.

At the 2019 Czech GP, Marquez won the race with Andrea Dovizioso in second place on the Ducati (currently third in the championship standings) and Jack Miller taking the last spot on the podium on his Pramac Ducati. The highest placed Yamaha last year was Valentino Rossi in sixth place with the current championship leader Quartararo finishing down in seventh.

The last time a Yamaha stood on the rostrum at the Brno track was back in 2017 when Vinales took third place behind the two Honda’s of Marquez and Pedrosa.

The track itself is popular amongst the riders in the paddock, it constantly changes in elevation, sweeps across forested hillsides and has fast undulating corners which test rider talent and engineering. It is 5.4km in length and has 14 corners in total - six left-hand corners and eight right-hand. MotoGP will endure 21 laps of the circuit during the race and the current circuit record is still held by Pedrosa with a 1'56.027 which was recorded in 2014.

The weather on race day is meant to be sunshine all day with a high of 29°C.

Last time out at the Andalucia GP, Quartararo took his second victory of the 2020 season and was joined by the two factory Yamaha’s on the podium - making it an all Yamaha podium. But, with the Ducati bikes being a strong force for the past few years at the circuit, who will come out on top?

The MotoGP weekend starts with Free Practice one which gets underway at 09:55 (GMT+2). The race is on Sunday and starts at 14:00 (GMT+2).