INDIA in F1

Tag: Marc Marquez

  • Viñales runs Marquez close at the Red Bull Ring

    Viñales runs Marquez close at the Red Bull Ring

    Yamaha rider takes the fight to the reigning Champion, with Dovizioso completing the top three

    Marc Marquez tops Friday times at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on Friday. A MotoGP image

    Spielberg, 9 August 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended Day 1 of the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich in P1 overall, but the reigning Champion was run close. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got within just 0.066 of the number 93, with FP1’s fastest man, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), ending the day third overall. The Italian failed to improve his laptime due to a late tip off, but his FP1 fastest keeps him in P3 at the venue where he won in 2017.

    Marquez came out the blocks all guns blazing at the start of FP2 as he sported a soft rear tyre, and immediately the number 93 was able to better his time from the morning session and went to the top of the combined standings, pushing FP1 pacesetter Dovizioso down to P2. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was also going well in the opening stages of FP2 too, after the Italian had a quiet FP1 and lingered down in P14 ahead of the afternoon’s running.

    As so often happens, however, it all came down to a frantic last 10 minutes. The day was sunny, hot and, potentially, quite different to what may greet the grid on Saturday – meaning it was weapons free in a bid to take a provisional place in Q2. Dovizioso was the first who looked under threat as he uncharacteristically crashed at Turn 3 just after setting a red first sector. Would he keep the place or could his rivals leap up the timesheets?

    One of the big improvers was Takaaki Nakagami, the LCR Honda Idemitsu rider having finished FP1 in ninth and finding time in the afternoon. First Nakagami went to P5 overall but on the next lap, the Honda man shot to P3 on the combined times, second in FP2. Viñales, third fastest in FP1, was also ramping his pace up and sure enough, the Yamaha man went second quickest – just 0.066 behind Marquez’ early session time. Marquez, Viñales and Nakagami would remain the quickest of the session, with ‘DesmoDovi’ slotting into third overall.

    Behind Nakagami was a familiar face at the front: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Frenchman was within a tenth of the Japanese rider ahead of him and finished the day in an impressive fifth overall, just ahead of a key rival: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing). The Australian flipped his formbook at the venue to complete the top six.

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), meanwhile, had a stunning Friday. The Portuguese rookie built on his 10th place in FP1 to move up to seventh on the combined standings, fastest KTM on the Austrian factory’s home turf – just 0.018 off Miller and 0.004 ahead of Petrucci by the end of play. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was equally close in an incredibly tight gaggle of riders, 0.006 off Oliveira, and he moved up into ninth overall on his last flying lap despite finishing outside the top 10 in FP1.

    The man who completed those who’ll be heading through to Q2 should the rain come down was Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who made it two KTMs in the top ten on home turf. And the Austrian factory achieved that at the expense of some key contenders: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P11 by mere thousandths and will be hoping for a dry FP3 on Saturday to improve his time, and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was just behind the ‘Doctor’ looking for the same. Will the two be heading head to head in Q1?

    See what Saturday brings, how the skies dawn and how the grid shuffles in FP3 at 9:55 (GMT+2), before qualifying then begins at 14:10 to decide the grid.

    Friday’s top results:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1’23.916
    2 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.066
    3 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +0.117
    4 – Takaaki Nakagami* (JPN – Honda) +0.155
    5 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.237

    *Independent Team rider

  • “We want to stop him”: can Marquez’ rivals keep him off the top step at the Red Bull Ring?

    “We want to stop him”: can Marquez’ rivals keep him off the top step at the Red Bull Ring?

    Top riders pose for a photo after the Thursday press conference ahead of the MotoGP race on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Spielberg (Austria), 8 August 2019: The pre-event Press Conference got some tongues wagging ahead of the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring, with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by key rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to talk everything from testing to rumours to races and a couple of things in between.

    First to speak was Marquez, the man who has won at every track except this one. The Brno Test was on the agenda first, and then the weekend ahead…

    “Yeah of course after Brno we have Monday test and little bit like every Monday test, everything worked well and the grip was amazing at the end of the day. This can be confusing but apart from that, we tried the important things in the morning and it was a good test for us. Now I’m looking forward to this Austrian GP, the Red Bull Ring; a circuit that I like, a layout that I like. It’s the only circuit I haven’t won at in the past, we will try to be ready again to fight for victory. I think all the competitors, not only Ducati but also Yamaha and Suzuki can be very very strong and lets see where we can fight on Sunday.”

    The stats would suggest for the win. So as the number 93 continues to break records – he recently took his 50th premier class victory – does he look at the numbers?

    “Of course the stats are important. Not the most important but for me the Championship is more important than the statistics but if you have good statistics it means you’re working in a good way. You are working, improving and yeah to see your name around or between these legends is amazing so I don’t want to think a lot about it, continue with the same mentally and ambition and enjoy it on track, this is the most important.”

    Next up was Andrea Dovizioso, who won at the venue in 2017. Ducati have reigned since its return to the calendar and the Italian could be an early solid bet for the win – but Marquez DID finish ahead of him last year. Dovizioso first debriefed Brno, and then looked ahead at Austria.

    “I’m happy. From the first practice the speed was there. Me and Marc did a really, really fast race. We pushed really hard for a lot of laps, so it was nice. The test was really good. The feeling with the bike was good. We tried some material which was interesting as it’s important to try new material to understand better the future. In the afternoon the grip increased a lot and there were a lot of fast riders, but we were focused on comparing with the old material. The feeling was good, I’m confident after Brno and we want to continue the victories of Ducati here.  But we know how difficult it will be with Marc like he is and already last year he finished ahead of me. It’ll be hard to stop him but it’s our goal, we want to stop him.

    “We have more points than last year and we can also have more points with the bad luck of Barcelona. The problem is that Marc has more points, so it’s difficult. We’re not too far away though, like Brno. We couldn’t finish the race with him unfortunately to make a battle, but we had a good pace so I’m happy.

    Valentino Rossi, meanwhile, is also positive about Brno, although a little more tempered.

    “In Brno was a bit better for me compared to the last races for sure. It’s not fantastic, we aren’t very happy for the sixth place but during the weekend I could ride the bike in a better way and we improved the balance, the setting, this is not so bad.”

    And the test? “On the Monday we had something interesting to try, we had the first touch with the new prototype of the bike. Doesn’t change a lot, something different especially in the engine, some different settings. But it was good to start the work because it was just the first touch but we need time, it was good to see what was better and what was worse and we can work in a better way. In the end Monday was quite positive.”

    Jack Miller was next on the mic. The Pramac Racing rider was back on the podium at Brno and it gives him a good springboard to try and move forward at the Red Bull Ring.

    “It was nice to be back on the box as it’d been a while since Texas. This one felt a little more special as nobody crashed around us, I had to fight for it right to the end. It was really nice to be back in the company of Marc and Dovi; and especially after Assen and Sachsenring where I struggled a lot. I had a good feeling going into there even though I hadn’t had the best luck there in the past. I’ve had some bad luck here too so I’m looking to turn it around.”

    And the test? The Australian explains he had an update even before the Monday at Brno. “I feel the bike is in a good place, really comfortable after I had a chassis upgrade for the race in Brno. Did a check in the Test with a heap of tyres. The track is always ten times better on a Monday and there’s always a lot of Monday heroes trying to win the trophy of being top of the timesheets, so it was funny to watch that at the end.”

    The Australian also addressed some of the rumours heading round about 2020 – explaining the situation from his side. “I thought we were waiting on paperwork but clearly that’s not the case, there might be something else behind it I don’t know yet. We’ll see once Jorge comes back from the Maldives or wherever he is now, and we’ll find out what I’m doing. At the minute, I’m just trying to do the best I can do, I’m not stressed. I feel if I keep riding like I am, I’ll be here next year and we’ll just see where.”

    Next up was Crutchlow, who wasn’t far off the podium in Austria last season, but the Brit first rewound to Czechia.

    “We know that starting at the front of the grid is always a lot easier. It was difficult to make up more places at Turn 1 because of the wet patches. I never had the balls of Jack or Marc in the qualifying on Saturday, I did put the slicks in but I couldn’t go any faster, I kept finding myself on the water. I need to qualify better, it’s as simple as that. The front two rows, I probably could have got a good start and been there at the start of the race. But as Valentino said in the last three or four years in Brno we’ve been battling together, I had to try and come across the gap, I never made it and I finished fifth its as simple as that. Hopefully we can have a better result this weekend and try for the rest of the year.”

    And the test? Crutchlow explained his thoughts on that and his recent feeling with the 2019 Honda.

    “First of all I think Honda are doing a good job. They’re bringing stuff for all the riders to try, I think me and Marc seem to be on a similar programme and Stefan maybe riding something else as well which is good because you get the information from all the riders. But in Brno I did try that chassis, I don’t know whether I will use it this weekend or not I’m not too sure, I don’t know of the feeling was good enough to use it or not. Over the last few races I felt better with our own bike, the standard bike we have this year, I see no reason why we can’t continue working with that bike. Even if we don’t feel fantastic with it, it seems I have not too bad pace with it at certain points. As I said I finished fourth last year so there’s no reason why we cant have a good weekend and get to the front.”

    Finally, it was time for the hometown hero – after a fashion. Pol Espargaro has been a consistent scorer (a perfect record so far this season) for KTM and shown some impressive pace, and now, of course, it’s time to do that on the factory’s home turf.

    “It’s been a great year. From the beginning we aren’t achieving the results of these guys alongside me but we tried to focus on being fast but also consistent. It’s the only way at the moment to be in a good position in the championship. There’s a lot of good riders and good bikes. I’ve been quite consistent, trying to do good sessions and then trying to be consistent in the race. Good starts, our bike is super-fast off the start so it allows us to do good first laps, and then set us up in a good position in the beginning to then fight against the guys trying to overtake me later in the race. Looking forward to this weekend. I’m looking for a little bit more. I couldn’t race here last year so I’m looking forward to it.

    “To race here is special. Everyone sees the track and the atmosphere, it’s an incredible circuit. KTM’s base isn’t far from here. I know that all the stands will be full of orange, cheering for us. So, after watching it on TV last year and meeting a lot of people from the factory and to have in the stands people that work on my bike, it will be super nice, so I’m looking forward to it.

    Fully fit this season as opposed to the heartbreak of sitting on the sidelines in 2018, he repeated the positivity of how the program is going for KTM, who’ve made huge leaps forward since their debut.

    “We’re looking to have good races in normal conditions where everyone finishes. Where we can be fighting with top guys at the end of the race, which is difficult as the bikes are at very good level. We need to remember sometimes it’s just our second year and a half with a brand new bike. Already what we’re doing is pretty interesting. For sure I’m the first to want to fight for podiums and the championship but at the moment it isn’t possible, so we will continue working like we are because I don’t think we’re doing too bad.”

    A podium and a front row have now been ticked off for the Austrian factory, but it’s the gap to the front they largely focus on…which makes even better reading. How will they fare this weekend on home turf? Find out on Sunday 11th August.

  • 50 not out: Marquez hits a half century of premier class wins

    50 not out: Marquez hits a half century of premier class wins

    A masterclass from the reigning Champion sees him take victory at Brno, with Dovizioso and Miller on the podium
    Marc Marquez wins at Brno on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Brno, 4 August 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took an impressive win in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České Republiky, taking the holeshot from pole after a dramatic downpour had delayed the start as the field waited for conditions to improve. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) shot up into second to take his fifth podium of the year, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) completing the rostrum for podium number two this season. He was the top Independent Team rider.

    After a rain shower, a delay and the Quick Start Procedure, it was Marquez who shot off the line first to immediately take the lead, with Dovizioso slicing up into second as Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Miller found themselves struggling a little more with grip. Initially, it became a four-rider fight with Marquez, Dovizioso, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miller creating a gap over just over a second back to Pol Espargaro (Red Bull Factory Racing), who had Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) for close company. As the laps ticked by the leading quartet were line astern as 0.8 covered them, and with limited dry track time throughout the weekend, the riders were wary of not jumping the gun too early.

    Meanwhile, Rossi eventually got the better of Espargaro’s KTM, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) quickly dispatching the latter to tuck in behind ‘The Doctor’. But by this time, the gap to the leaders was over four seconds. Would Marquez turn the wick up even further? The signs were there and with 10 to go, fourth place Miller had dropped 1.5 off the race leader, with Marquez’ lead over second-placed Dovi creeping up over the half-second mark. Then, with nine to go, Marquez was making his move. The gap increased to nearly a second but at Turn 10, the number 93 had a warning shot on the front. It didn’t seem to faze the seven-time Champion though, as from then on, no one could keep the Honda man’s pace.

    That meant it boiled down to a race for second and third between Dovi, Rins, and Miller with five laps remaining. Would there be a late twist in the tale for P2? Rins closed Dovi down slightly but soon, it was the Suzuki under attack instead. Miller smelt blood and the Australian set his sights onto the back of Rins’ GSX-RR.

    With two laps left, he went for it at Turn 1 but the blue machine fought back up the inside. No matter, Miller got the job done a few seconds later at Turn 5 and with Rins clearly struggling with his tyres, the Spaniard gave up the ghost. Up the road, meanwhile, Marquez was out of sight as he took victory number six of the year. 63 points is now his advantage heading to Austria, over Dovizioso, who returned to the podium for the first time since Mugello just behind him.

    Behind Rins’ fourth, Crutchlow wasn’t far off the podium hunt, with the British rider finishing 1.2 off him in P5. Rossi took a pretty lonely sixth place to claim his best result since Le Mans; the nine-time World Champion the leading Yamaha in the Czech Republic as he finished three seconds ahead of rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). Danilo Petrucci’s (Ducati Team) run of top-six finishes in 2019 came to an end with a P8 in Brno, the Italian ahead of ninth-place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). After a bad start, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) recovered from 15th to 10th on a difficult day for one of the riders who looked like a serious contender before the weather shuffled the pack.

    Pol Espargaro took 11th ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), with his fellow rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) taking P13 and just ahead of Zarco. Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement, Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team), completed the points.

    Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) crashed at Turn 10 on Lap 7 – rider ok, and a crash took down Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) after a close encounter with Zarco on Lap 1.

    That’s it from Brno, and another masterclass from Marquez sees the number 93 enter the record books once more with his 50th premier class win. The riders will be aiming to stop it become number 51 in Austria, with the action kicking off at the Red Bull Ring in under a weeks’ time. But first, a Brno test on Monday!

    Marc Marquez: “I was really concentrating from the beginning because there were some wet patches still at Turn 1, but I decided to start and keep my rhythm because the Yamaha riders were behind and they were very fast in Warm-Up. I saw Dovi was behind me and I just kept pushing and pushing. Around 10 laps to go is when I had a warning, it’s when I started to push more and when I tried to open the gap! I’m really happy, it was a crazy weekend but the Repsol Honda Team were really focused and precise, and that helps me achieve the victory.”

    MotoGP Top-3 results:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 39’24.430
    2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) +2.452
    3 – Jack Miller* (AUS – Ducati) +3.497

    *Independent Team rider

  • Marquez puts slicks on pole at a half-soaked Brno; equals Doohan record

    Marquez puts slicks on pole at a half-soaked Brno; equals Doohan record

    Marc Marquez takes pole on Saturday at Brno. A MotoGP image

    Brno (Czech Republic), 3 August 2019: Pole positions come and go, lap records are broken, and the paddock inevitably marches on. But every now and then, someone creates a moment that instantly gets inked into the history books, and that’s exactly what Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) did to take pole position in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky. Slicks in mixed conditions are a recipe for gravel or glory and Marquez threaded the needle to perfection in one of the most stunning qualifying performances in history, annihilating his rivals by over two and a half seconds. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also pole number 58 for the number 93, equalling Mick Doohan’s all-time premier class record. Joining Marquez on the front row are Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), who also took the gamble on slicks, and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who took the first front row for the Austrian factory and his first this season.

    In Q1, it was also KTM’s time to shine as Zarco reigned ahead of teammate Pol Espargaro, with the two split by just 0.020 and both moving through to contest what looked like a very challenging Q2. And that it turned out to be, with Zarco again the man in the spotlight as the Frenchman took provisional pole with ten minutes remaining, ahead of Espargaro, and a dry line starting to appear on the track.

    The drama came first from a fight between Marquez and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with the two getting a little too close for comfort on track before rolling into pitlane in tandem and exchanging a few words. And that’s when the reigning Champion switched to slicks, heading back out with seven minutes left on the clock, as the rain began to return.

    Meanwhile, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had gone the opposite way, and it looked like Marquez could have made a serious mistake as the Ducati man shot up into second to split the KTMs…and the rain started to fall. But then the red sectors started to appear.

    First it was a few tenths, and by the end of the lap it was over a second. At parts of the track it was pouring with rain but the number 93 kept on keeping on, eking out the advantage with utter commitment to the cause and taking over on top.

    Miller was also seeing red and moved up to second behind Marquez not long after, and that was surely all she wrote? Not so as both men began another flying lap. For Miller, sadly, it came to an early end as the Australian crashed out. But he’d done enough to keep his impressive second place and once again proved a master of rolling the dice, with everything now left to one man and his slicks: Marquez. Could he improve? He didn’t need to, but the reigning Champion was on a mission.

    Four tenths in sector 1 became nearly a second in sector 2, before the third sector saw the timing screens light up with a gap of almost a second and a half. The final sector was where the rain was still coming down though; all that stood between Marquez and pole number 58. That, too, was conquered, with Marquez’ final effort pulling him two and a half seconds clear of the field and a second and a half ahead of his previous best. Mission accomplished, history made.

    So he heads Miller and Zarco as the Frenchman earns KTM’s first MotoGP™ front row start and his best qualifying result since taking pole in Malaysia last year, with Dovizioso putting himself in a solid position for the race in fourth. Espargaro lines up in fifth for the second time this season, with Rins ultimately set to launch from sixth.

    Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slammed in a late personal best time on the wet tyres to spearhead the third row of the grid in Brno, ‘The Doctor’ leads Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who are in eighth and ninth respectively. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the Q2 runners.

    The Czech Adrenaline Factory certainly lived up its name on Saturday, as Marquez swept away records and rain for premier class pole 58. But Sunday should be dry, and that’s a whole new
    ball game…so tune in for it at 14:00 local time, 5.30 pm Indian time. (GMT+2).

    MotoGP Qualifying top-3:
    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 2’02.753
    2 – Jack Miller* (ITA – Ducati) +2.524
    3 – Johann Zarco (FRA – KTM) +2.598.
    ends
  • Decade of dominance: Marquez makes it a perfect ten at the Sachsenring

    Decade of dominance: Marquez makes it a perfect ten at the Sachsenring

    The Championship leader reigns the Ring as the battle for the podium heats up

    Marquez takes 10th win at Sachsenring on Sunday. A MotoGP image

    Sachsenring, 7 July 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completed a decade of dominance at the Sachsenring, winning in style in the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship here on Sunday.

    Attacking early to take the lead into Turn 1 and not looking back, the reigning Champion made it ten wins in a row in Germany, all from pole. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) completed the podium. Marquez’ win for the seventh successive time in the premier class at the Sachsenring also equals Valentino Rossi’s record of premier class wins in a row at one venue, set in Mugello from 2002-2008.

    Despite a bad start Marquez kept it pinned into Turn 1, the last of the late brakers able to emerge in the lead as Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) slipped back from second to sixth at the start; Viñales, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Crutchlow all getting past the Frenchman. The first shot of drama would come from the Frenchman too as Quartararo’s race suddenly ended at Turn 3 on Lap 2,  the rookie going to get back past Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci but the front washing away in his first ever premier class crash out of a race.

    The battle at the front at that point was more a freight train, with Marquez conducting the pace from Viñales as Crutchlow and Rins demoted Miller down to fifth. The top four started to edge clear of the rest, but edging clear of everyone was King of the Ring Marquez as a 1:21.228 – a new lap record – on Lap 5 saw his lead creep up to just under a second. The man in second was Rins, and he was also stretching his advantage over Viñales and Crutchlow to the same distance, but Marquez was in the groove.

    The seven-time Champion showed exactly why the Sachsenring is his playground, not powering away at a rapid rate but instead eking out a tenth here and there, his lead gradually increasing until he suddenly put the hammer down. Lap 10 saw Marquez go 0.4 faster than Rins as the gap rose above the two-second barrier. From then on, there was no stopping the now ten-time Sachsenring winner.

    The battle for the second and third steps on the podium was heating up, however. Crutchlow was shadowing Viñales, who in turn was sitting a second back from Rins, with the gap remaining constant between the trio as we passed the mid-stage of the race. And the battle for fifth place was very much on as Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and Petrucci were going head-to-head with fellow GP19 rider Miller, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro in a close fight for big points.

    Nearer the front though, disaster then struck at the top of ‘The Waterfall’ for Rins. 0.9 clear of Viñales and Crutchlow, the Suzuki man suddenly skitted out at Ralf Waldmann corner for his second consecutive DNF. With the man on the chase down and out, it left Marquez with an unassailable 4.9 lead.

    The last ten laps were just about controlling the gap for Marquez as he saw a 10th Sachsenring win appear ever closer, but who would finish second? Crutchlow had been attached to Viñales’ back wheel for some time to put the Spaniard under pressure and with two laps to go, the duo were separated by nothing. But the number 35 then had a scare at Turn 10; a warning sign that saw Crutchlow running wide and subsequently keeping it calmer to give up the chase. Just ahead, Marquez crossed the line to win his fifth race of 2019, the seventh consecutive year he’s won five or more races in a premier class season – a record that sees him surpass MotoGP™ Legend Giacomo Agostini and nine-time Champion Rossi, both of whom managed to do it for six straight years.

    Viñales crossed the line to take his second straight podium, with Crutchlow getting his equal best result of the year in third and his first rostrum since Qatar GP. The Brit’s ride was even more impressive as he battled a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a small fracture to the top of his tibia this weekend following a cycling mishap. Behind the top trio, meanwhile, there were important points in the Championship to be decided just down the road.

    Rossi had lost touch on the battle for fourth in the latter stages, and it was Mir vs the three Ducatis. With Marquez out in front, second in the Championship Dovizioso needed to limit the damage as much as possible but Petrucci wasn’t going to let his teammate have it all his own way. The Italians exchanged P4 at the bottom of ‘The Waterfall’ before Dovi went to get back past Petrucci into Turn 1 with three to go and they both ran wide; Miller diving up the inside of both. Dovizioso was aggressive though and attacked the Australian as the battle between the Ducatis went down to the wire, Petrucci leading them onto the last lap. The Mugello winner would ultimately hold fourth as the chequered flag came out, a terrific performance after his big crash in Q2, with Dovizioso producing another fine fight back to take P5 from P13 on the grid. Miller was forced to settle for a solid sixth.

    Mir picked up his third consecutive top ten in seventh, a great ride from the rookie, with Rossi ending his run of three-straight DNFs with a P8 at the Sachsenring. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) finished ninth in Germany, the first time he’d raced in the premier class at the track after missing out last year, with Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) grabbing his second top ten of the season in front of his home fans.

    Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) put in a stunner to take P11 from last on the grid, ahead of a tougher race for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was 13th and top Aprilia after a crash for teammate Aleix Espargaro, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) riding through the pain barrier to P14. Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the points.

    The summer break is now upon us and Marquez will doubtless be the most relaxed after extending his lead once again. But next up is Brno and it’s a good venues for some key rivals…as well as a few weeks away, giving the likes of Quartararo time to come back swinging. Will the reign continue? The Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky will decide…

    Marc Marquez: “My plan was try to lead from the beginning to the end, that was my mentality. For that reason the start wasn’t perfect but I took a lot of risk in the first corner, I braked so late and I was able to be in there and then the first two laps I was just cruising and trying to understand the limit of the track after the rain. Then when I saw the tyres were ready, I was ready and the bike was ready, then I started to attack. I started to do low 1:21s, that was my rhythm in the first ten laps, and apart from that, when I saw Rins was three seconds behind me, then I started to save the tyre and finish the race.”

    Top-3 Race Results:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 41’08.276
    2 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +4.587
    3 – Cal Crutchlow* (GBR – Honda) +7.741

    *Independent Team rider

  • Quartararo runs Marquez close but the King of the Sachsenring takes pole: German MotoGP

    Quartararo runs Marquez close but the King of the Sachsenring takes pole: German MotoGP

    A tenth pole in a row for the reigning Champion sees him head Fast Fabio by two tenths, with Viñales close in third

    Marc Marquez takes German GP pole on Saturday. A Repsol Honda Image

    Sachsenring, 6 July 2019: It started in the 125 World Championship, it continued in Moto2™ and now it’s seven times in a row in MotoGP™: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) continued his stunning form to make it ten successive Sachsenring pole positions in the HJC Helmets Grand Prix Motorrad Deutschland, the 9th round of the MotoGP World Championship, escaping the clutches of rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) by two tenths and on course to challenge for a tenth win in a row at the track on Sunday. Quartararo was once again a key challenger despite a big wobble in FP3 that partially dislocated the Frechman’s shoulder – on top of his ongoing recovery from arm pump surgery, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the front row and missing out on second by just 0.006.

    The drama started early as Q1 saw Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) lead Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) into Q2 to fight for the top 12, and that had some serious consequences for Championship challenger Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) as he was knocked out by just a few thousandths. He’ll face a fight back on Sunday from P13.

    Meanwhile, at the front, Marquez was the first man to set a benchmark time in Q2, the number 93 slamming in a 1:20.575. But there was more to come, with an advantage of two tenths then becoming half a second as the Repsol Honda rider set a new all-time lap record. A 1:20.215 moved the goalposts 0.553 clear of his nearest challengers as the undisputed King of the Ring laid down the gauntlet for the riders to try and match. And slowly but surely, that half a second gap started to shrink, down to 0.185 as both Quartararo and Marquez headed onto their final flying laps – the 20-year-old just behind Marquez on circuit.

    Both riders set a red first sector, Marquez was superior in the second, Quartararo then went through his favoured third split in the red…but so did Marquez. It all came down to the final sector of the session – would Marquez hold on for a tenth straight pole or would Quartararo steal it from the seven-time Champion’s grasp? Marquez did set a slightly faster lap and a couple of seconds later, Quartararo crossed the line but it wasn’t to be. But two tenths off Marquez in Q2 at the Sachsenring whilst not exactly fighting fit is a warning shot regardless.

    Viñales finished just 0.006 off Quartararo to lineup in P3, his fourth front row start of the season, as Rins spearheads the second row of the grid in P4. By far the leading Ducati rider in qualifying, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) had a great session to launch from P5, he’ll sit next to the brave Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) – the Briton qualifies sixth for the German GP despite suffering a torn ACL and a small fracture to the top of his tibia ahead of this weekend.

    Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli leads Row 3 ahead of Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the duo will line up with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) alongside them. The Spaniard was involved in an incident with Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) after it appeared the Suzuki rider held up the Italian on the entrance to ‘The Waterfall’ and on the exit of Turn 12…

    Just behind that drama, Takaaki Nakagami qualifies P10, with the Japanese rider beating fellow Q1 graduate Valentino Rossi by 0.033 to turn the tables on ‘The Doctor’ in Q2. To continue a more turbulent session for Petrucci, not long after his words with Mir the Italian then suffered a huge crash at Turn 9 as the front washed away. He headed to the medical centre for a checkup, and will race from P12…just ahead of teammate Andrea Dovizioso.

    Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) was 14th as he replaces the injured Jorge Lorenzo, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) close behind in P15.

    That’s it from Saturday and it’s 10 in a row for the sublime King of the Sachsenring, but pole position didn’t come easy and judging by race pace, Marquez might not quite have it all his own way on Sunday either. Can Quartararo, Viñales or the likes of Rins upset the applecart? And will the likes of Rossi and Dovizioso fight through the pack? The MotoGP class go racing at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) 5.30pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

    Qualifying top-3: MotoGP:

    German Grand Prix Qualification Results

    Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
    1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’20.195
    2 QUARTARARO Fabio 20 FRA Petronas Yamaha SRT 0.205
    3 VINALES Maverick 12 SPA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 0.211
    4 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 0.336
    5 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Pramac Racing 0.495
    6 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 0.662
    7 MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT 0.769
    8 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0.828
    9 MIR Joan 36 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 0.866
    10 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN LCR Honda 0.909
    11 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 0.942
    12 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Mission Winnow Ducati 1.291
    13 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Mission Winnow Ducati 1’21.105 Q1
    14 BRADL Stefan 6 GER Repsol Honda Team 0.122
    15 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 0.208
    16 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 0.328
    17 BAGNAIA Francesco 63 ITA Pramac Racing 0.341
    18 SYAHRIN Hafizh 55 MAL Red Bull KTM Tech 3 0.360
    19 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0.532
    20 OLIVEIRA Miguel 88
  • Marquez reigns over Rins, Quartararo menacing on Friday: MotoGP Deutschland

    Marquez reigns over Rins, Quartararo menacing on Friday: MotoGP Deutschland

    Sachsenring, 5 July 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) topped the timesheets on Day 1 of the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, but the reigning Champion had some competition at the venue he’s reigned nine times in a row. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was second quickest, but Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) stole a few headlines in both sessions. The French rookie was fastest in FP1, and in the latter stages of the day he was denied the chance to improve his lap first as he got held up by teammate Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and second as he caught Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) at the end of his final push. Does the rookie sensation have more in the tank for Saturday?

    Conditions were warmer in the afternoon and almost the entire premier class field were able to improve their FP1 times within ten minutes of FP2 on a day of good weather in Germany – sometimes easier said than done – and two action-packed sessions, including 66 degrees of lean for Marquez and Quartararo’s determination to try and dethrone the king of the Sachsenring didn’t disappoint. And although the Frenchman didn’t manage that in the end, Quartararo’s rookie run of form in recent sessions is akin only to Marquez’ speed in 2013 – with the rookie now in the top three for 16 sessions in a row; a good omen for the rest of the weekend.

    Assen winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who finished on the podium here last season, was the man in P4 after the first day and just over a tenth off Quartararo, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) next up to complete the top five; the Spaniard putting in another stunner of a performance for Austrian factory KTM.

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was P6 despite struggling through the pain barrier after a cycling mishap, just ahead of the fastest Ducati on Day 1: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing). Miller led a Borgo Panigale 7-8-9 as he headed Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) by half a tenth, with Petrucci’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso only a further 0.005 in arrears. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the top ten on Friday and therefore currently holds the last of the provisional places in Q2. The ‘Doctor’ was also in the top three in the morning.

    Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was an infinitesimal 0.005 off that fastest ten, and he’ll be the first pushing to try and crack it on Saturday morning in FP3, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and home hero Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team), who is standing in for the injured Jorge Lorenzo. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completed the fastest fifteen.

    It was a day with low rates of attrition and only Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) suffered a crash, the Italian going down in FP1. He missed FP2 as he headed for a check up in Chemnitz in the afternoon, rider ok.

    That’s it from Day 1! The top ten after FP3 will go through to Q2, and that final chance to move up the timesheets starts at 9:55 (GMT+2) on Saturday morning at the Sachsenring. Does Quartararo have an ace up his sleeve? Can Marquez move the benchmark once again? Qualifying begins at 14:10 to decide the grid.

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1:20.705
    2 – Alex Rins (SPA – Suzuki) +0.341
    3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.360
    4 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.488
    5 – Pol Espargaro (SPA – KTM) +0.560

    *Independent Team rider

  • Riders talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference in Germany, gearing up to take on Marquez

    Riders talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference in Germany, gearing up to take on Marquez

    Top photo L-R: Mir, Viñales, Petrucci, Marquez, Quartararo, Morbidelli. A MotoGP image

    Sachsenring, 4 July 2019: It’s Thursday and, as always, that means it’s Press Conference day so ahead of track action at the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was joined by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), who recently re-signed with the Bologna factory squad, as well as rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Dutch TT winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

    First on the agenda for Marquez, who spoke first, was the Championship – and he’s got a good points buffer coming into the last race before the summer break, as well as nine wins from pole in a row at the Sachsenring…

    “I feel good, I feel good because we are in a very good position in the championship. We’re in good form. Of course in Assen we had a really good weekend. It was one of our worst during practice but in the race we took 20 important points. We will see during the weekend. The opponents will show us the level, the target is to work in the best way, try to be competitive from the beginning and then we will see. Everyone expects a victory. Austin is the worst part on the calendar in the first part… We will try to be focused.

    “For me, our key point, the most import thing is consistency. To have a bike and setup that is working pretty much good at all tracks and this is how to win a championship. And it’s the way were working. Doesn’t mean some weekend arrives somebody… for me in all weekends we need to be fast enough to be on the podium. We are working in that way, in that way our strong points are a little bit weaker but our weak points are a bit stronger so we need to manage in a good way.

    Next up was Petrucci, and for him it was a little more a longer term talking point than simply Sunday’s race, with the Italian having been announced as remaining at the factory Ducati Team. Naturally, that dominated the first part of what he talked about.

    “For sure it was a thing that both parts wanted to continue, this adventure,” says the Mugello winner. “The first part of this season has been very, very good. Since the first interview, I’ve said my target was to stay in this team for as many years as possible. Now, in the next season, I have a big opportunity. Now everybody says I can race with less pressure but actually we’re fighting for the top three in the championship and both Andrea and I want to enjoy some better races than Assen. We have a very, very big challenge. We’re halfway through the season and I think we can now be more focused on the track than off the track.

    “In Assen, it was one of the strangest weekends of the year because on Saturday morning the bike was perfect, I rode one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden, but in the afternoon,  it was the opposite. Just two hours later with the hot temperature. In the Sunday, we sorted our problem a little bit but for sure it was big gap to Maverick.

    “We have to work on those conditions. For sure, we must work better with Andrea for a better strategy in qualifying, not the races because we’re free to do what we want. For sure, to be faster than our challengers is hard, the competition is really high.

    Fabio Quartararo took to the mic next, and the Frenchman kept it short and sweet. Off the back of a second premier class podium and becoming the youngest ever rider to take back-to-back premier class poles, it’s all going well – despite his ongoing recovery from arm pump surgery.

    “First of all its good to be back on a weekend,” he begins, with Germany arriving so soon after the Dutch TT. “Assen was really positive for us. We made really good pace in the first part of the race and for sure, here being at the new track for us on a MotoGP bike means I’m looking forward to it.”

    So did he do some homework ahead of his Sachsenring debut? “Yeah! I looked at the last few races here in MotoGP and it looks like the Yamaha is working well at this track. At all the tracks the bike has been working well and I expect the same from this track.”

    At Assen, especially, the Yamaha was working well, especially in the hands of eventual winner Maverick Viñales. On the top step for the first time this year for rider and manufacturer, was that win important? In a word, yes.

    “It was very important. Especially to prove the work that we do on Friday and Saturday finally was then also done on Sunday. That was the most important, to keep working, keep fighting as always and prove we can be there fighting for the races.”

    And at Germany? It’s a tall ask to beat the unbeaten, but history has shown no one is unbeatable. “I think Honda and Marc are the favourites, they are the ones to beat. We’ll try follow their speed, but it’ll be very difficult for sure. We’ll try and work in the same mentality as Montmelo and Assen, try be strong every session and then you never know. In the race you never know, we’ll prepare for the race the best we can and then let’s see. But the motivation is there, I feel really good, I have nothing to lose so I’ll push to maximum.”

    Morbidelli shared some thoughts after his fellow Yamaha rider, after equalling his best premier class result last time out.

    “Well…it’s been a good season so far. We were strong, we were having quite a good speed. Maybe we didn’t get what we were aiming for in some races due to crashes and mistakes. The speed is there, I’m having fun on the bike, of course there is always room to improve, there’s always room to improve, but its going well and I’m having fun.

    “Sachsenring is a track where somehow I have always been fast from the first year I was here, I don’t know why. But that was Moto2. We will see what will happen in MotoGP, I didn’t ride last year due to injury. As Fabio said and as you know, the Yamaha works pretty well here so I am curious to see how the bike will react and how I will go at the track.”

    Mir was the final man on the mic and he, of course, is also gearing up to ride the track for the first time on a premier class machine. After a tougher few races after a solid debut in Qatar, Assen saw him lead for the first time and get back in the mix.

    “The truth is that during the first races I was struggling a little bit: bad luck, some mistakes; rookie mistakes sometimes. Now it looks like from Barcelona we’ve made a step every time. I’ve been stronger and can finish in good positions. It looks like we’re going in a good way, which I’m happy about. It’s my first time on a MotoGP bike here so it’ll be interesting to see how I react and how strong I can be. In past years we haven’t seen any good Suzuki results here, maybe we’ve struggled a bit, but this year we have a competitive bike at all tracks so let’s see.

    “In the past, I have been quite strong here, winning some races. But also, this is MotoGP, it’s another story but I’m looking forward to it.”

    Everyone is, although Marquez is on a roll at the ‘ring. Can the grid overhaul him in 2019? Or is the reigning Champion not infallible? Find out as track action begins on Friday morning, before lights out for the MotoGP race on Sunday at local time 14:00 (GMT +2). which is 7.30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

  • Marc Marquez aiming for a perfect-10 in Germany

    It’s a pivotal race weekend at the Sachsenring for both his Championship rivals and the man gunning for a tenth win in a row at the track

    Sachsenring (Germany), 2 July 2019: Nine in a row is how Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) arrives into one of his best venues: the Sachsenring. A region that has a long racing history, it’s been reigned by Marquez in every class he’s competed in since 2010, with his success there often a pivotal part of his own history. Leading ahead of the summer break is a good prize and, although Marquez can’t cede the lead in the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, he can extend it and head into the break with a firmer hold on the top.

    One venue earlier this season had hosted Marquez supremacy before 2019, however…and then everything went wrong. The Circuit of the Americas and Marquez’ crash out the lead show he’s not infallible, although the factors contributing to that crash, he says, are understood and overcome. So can it happen again? Or can he be beaten?

    Two of the key challengers last season could prove true again. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) arrives flying high from his stunning win at the TT Circuit Assen, and the Sachsenring saw him take a podium last year. Yamaha have also come closest to deposing Marquez recently when Jonas Folger also took the fight to the reigning Champion in an incredible rookie ride in 2017. And Viñales’ teammate Valentino Rossi beat him to second in 2018 and has winning form there, as he does everywhere. Despite a recent tough run for the ‘Doctor’, it was a sublime roll of form earlier in the year and everything can switch again in an instant.

    That’s certainly proved true for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) since his heartbreak in Jerez, and the French rookie now has two premier class podiums to his name despite still recovering from arm pump surgery. Teammate Franco Morbidelli has also been impressing and took a top five in Assen, splitting the Ducati Team duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, who had a more difficult weekend seemingly exacerbated by the heat. The field is so tight, those needing to gain points on Marquez or put in some solid damage control face far more than an easy ride to the podium.

    Dovizioso is that man more than any other as it stands, as he remains the man closest to Marquez in the Championship. In the Dutch TT, however, the gap increased once again as he missed out on the podium. Can Germany see him close in a little? Traditionally it’s a tougher track for the red machines, but anything can happen in such close racing…and the weather can throw up some surprises too, traditionally a strong point for both ‘DesmoDovi’ AND Petrucci.

    One man who could be a very interesting question mark is Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Qualifying woes were nowhere to be found at Assen, and the Spaniard got a great start to lead the way…and then crashed. But before the blip Rins’ points scoring run has been impeccable and previously it was Germany last season the Suzuki rider last failed to score. What does that mean? It means we don’t have a good reference for his speed at the track, which has sky-rocketed everywhere in 2019 anyway, and that combined with the sweet-handling Suzuki could make an interesting addition to the stakes at one of the tightest and twistiest venues of the year. Rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) got back on form at Assen too, and although he trails Quartararo by a margin in the fight for Rookie of the Year, he joined the Frenchman in leading a premier class race for the first time, albeit briefly.

    There’s another interesting addition in the battle in Germany, too. Jorge Lorenzo remains sadly sidelined at the Repsol Honda Team, and it’s a home hero taking his place: test rider Stefan Bradl. The German has podium form in the premier class and even in wildcard appearances since, he’s impressed to bother the tight fight for Q2 and the big points finishes. What can he do on home turf?

    KTM, meanwhile, will be eager to move forward. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) suffered with some pain from a crash in the Barcelona test last time out so he’ll be hoping to be back up to full speed, and teammate Johann Zarco also suffered in Assen. They’ll be hoping for more in Germany.

    The fight for top Independent Team rider is also tight. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) leads the way despite a tougher Assen, but Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) isn’t far behind. His teammate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) had some awful luck last time out as Rossi collided with him, but he’s been on some serious form and has beaten Crutchlow a few times. And Aprilia Racing Team Gresini could also make some bigger steps forward in Germany, with Aleix Espargaro having a few more days to recover and Andrea Iannone making some solid progress for his first top ten of the season in the Netherlands.

    Can Marquez be beaten in Germany or is he infallible? Find out on Tune in on Sunday 7th July as the tight Sachsenring welcomes back both the King of the Ring and those gunning for his crown.

    Championship standings:

    1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) – 160
    2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA – Ducati) – 116
    3 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) – 108
    4 – Alex Rins (SPA – Suzuki) – 101
    5 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) – 72
  • Yamaha’s Viñales takes on Marquez and comes out on top at Assen

    Yamaha’s Viñales takes on Marquez and comes out on top at Assen

    Vinales wins at Assen 30 June 2019. A MotoGP image

    Assen, 30 June 2019: Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has taken a stunning Grand Prix win at the Motul TT Assen, a round of the MotoGP World Championship, stalking the front before striking for the lead and stretching his legs to pull away from reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) followed up his record-breaking pole position on Saturday with another podium, impressing once again even as he continues to recover from arm-pump surgery.

    Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took the holeshot from third on the grid, the Suzuki man streaking away from the line and soon joined by impressive rookie teammate Joan Mir as he slotted into second. Quartararo didn’t retain P1 but he stayed third after a solid start, with eventual winner Viñales the man initially losing out a little. Marquez was next up, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) harrying teammate Danilo Petrucci just behind.

    At the start of Lap 2 Viñales made his first move to take Marquez, but then all eyes on were the lead as Rins suddenly slid out…leaving Mir under the pressure of leading a premier class race for the first time, and Quartararo in second for a rookie 1-2. The number 36 then headed a bit wide and the number 20 sliced through, with Viñales taking over in second and Marquez up into third.

    Mir had been shuffled back into fourth but Dovizioso soon struck, having passed teammate Petrucci to begin his assault on the front, before there was another strike of bad luck lightning as Viñales headed wide from the lead. Marquez took over, stalking Quartararo, with Dovizioso then within touching distance of the number 12 Yamaha as he got shuffled back. Marquez tried to attack, Quartararo resisted, and Viñales was then back on their tail and it was a trio locked together in the lead.

    That was how it would stay for much of the race. Viñales overcooked Turn 1 but reeled them back in, Marquez attacked Quartararo a lap later after a wobble for the Frenchman, and then Marquez had his own moment and the rookie was back in the lead. The trio were once again line astern, uneasily holding station.

    With 11 to go, Viñales broke the stalemate. He attacked Marquez and got through before then homing in on Quartararo, pouncing where Marquez had earlier as the Frenchman struggled again with a bit of a wobble at high speed. But a small error soon after cost him and Marquez took over in P1. Would that be the number 93’s chance to pull the pin?

    No chance. Viñales sliced back through as swiftly as he could, and the two were starting to gap Quartararo behind. With six laps to go they were still both locked together and there was nothing in it, but gradually then, Viñales started taking a tenth here and a tenth there.

    Finally, it seemed the number 12 had broken the Honda rider. The top three had all had their share of mini dramas during the race, but Viñales was then pitch perfect to the flag. Eventually, the gap was nearly five seconds over the line and the Spaniard celebrated in style. It’s his first win since Phillip Island last year, Yamaha’s first of the season and one of his most impressive rides.

    Quartararo took his second podium in succession in third as he managed to last the distance, ever-impressive as he continues to makes waves in MotoGP™. Dovizioso was the man behind him, locked in battle with Petrucci and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) for much of the race and coming out on top. Morbidelli eventually just beat Petrucci to complete the top five and equal his best ever premier class result.

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) recovered from a moment to take P7 and overhaul Mir’s impressive performance as the rookie finished eighth, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) crossing the line in ninth after a more difficult weekend.

    Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top ten for his best result of the season so far and some valuable points, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), escaping a battle behind that saw Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) best Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in the points scorers, with all incredibly close over the line.

    There were a few names missing from the finishers along with Rins, the biggest of which was Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The ‘Doctor’ lost the chance at a ride back through the field as he collided with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and both went down, making it a difficult run of three for the number 46 of late.

    That’s it from Assen and a classic trio of cat and mouse in the lead. Next up is the Sachsenring and that’s one of Marquez’ signature venues, so there will be some ominous music as the reigning Champion makes the short trip south. But with Viñales on form, Quartararo ever-closer despite his recent surgery and the likes of Rins with speed if not always luck, the last race before the summer break will be unmissable. Tune in as we race again in less than a week, on Sunday 7th July.
    Maverick Viñales: “It’s amazing, amazing because I’ve been going through some very tough moments, I’ve been knocked out in three races and had a jump start in Austin, which is the race I felt most prepared. Also in Montmelo I think we had the opportunity to fight for the win. Somehow we found a good step for the races. It’s difficult to believe because I thought I couldn’t make this pace because in the warm up, I was not so bad with used tyres but we were missing a little bit of pace. But finally I was hitting 33s all the time. I was very happy, very happy when increased the line. A lot of press went out, bringing Yamaha to the top is something very special, and in two years we were the only ones to get a victory for Yamaha. I have to say congratulations to the team, they have worked really well since Mugello. What can I say, it’s something unbelievable!”
    MotoGP Top-3 results:
    1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) 40’55.415
    2 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) +4.854
    3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +9.738

    *Independent Team rider