The most memorable victories of the year from our perspective.
The 2016 MotoGP World Championship will long be remembered for producing a historic nine grand prix winners in a single season and, with a round still to go at Valencia this weekend, a 10th hasn’t completely been discounted. To commemorate what a season it’s been so far, here are 10 of the most fascinating wins for all kinds of unique reasons.
1. Jack Miller (Assen):
Australia’s Jack Miller won his first-career MotoGP World Championship race at Assen’s Dutch TT, fending off multiple world champion Marc Marquez in a nail-biting race. In a two-part race contested in mixed conditions, Team Estrella Galicia Marc VDS 0,0’s Miller emerged the eventual winner in a stunning result for the 21-year-old. As an Aussie website, we can’t look past this as the top of our winners this season!
2. Marc Marquez (Motegi):
Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez took the 2016 MotoGP World Championship at the home of Honda, with the hand dealt by the Japanese venue seeing the cards fall perfectly for the Spaniard. Movistar Yamaha teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo crashed out of contention. First was Rossi into the gravel early, before Lorenzo’s ride through the pain after a highside on Saturday was cut short, sliding out of P2 in the last laps. Marquez, clear at the front, kept it on the road to take his third premier class title in four years and his fifth victory of the season.
3. Cal Crutchlow (Phillip Island):
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) landed a stunning second GP win at Phillip Island, as the Brit kept calm and kept his gap at the front ahead of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Viñales completing the podium. It was world champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) who led the opening stages until crashing out, leaving a charging Crutchlow at the front for his second win of the year and his career.
4. Valentino Rossi (Jerez):
The Gran Premio Red Bull de España saw Valentino Rossi lead from start to finish, winning from Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez with ease. All weekend the leading three were in a league of their own, however for the 113th time in his career and the 87th time in the premier class, Rossi pulled a wheelie across the line to celebrate victory.
5. Andrea Iannone (Red Bull Ring):
Andrea Iannone took the first win for the Ducati Team since Casey Stoner last took the red machine over the finish line at Phillip Island in 2010 following a historic result at Red Bull Ring in Austria. The Italian, for whom the victory was his first, held off pressure from teammate Andrea Dovizioso as the Ducati duo took off in the second half of the race and took a 1-2 for the Borgo Panigale factory for the first time since 2007.
6. Maverick Vinales (Silverstone):
Maverick Vinales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) broke through for a historic first win for Suzuki since their return to the championship, as the 2013 Moto3 champion became the seventh winner in 2016 to claim the British Grand Prix. Vinales, who got his first podium in Le Mans in the French GP, got a front row start and simply pulled away once away in the lead – putting in an incredible performance to cross the line 3.4 seconds clear.
7. Dani Pedrosa (Misano):
Victory for Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli resulted in the most different winners in a single world championship season since it began in 1949. Pedrosa became the eighth rider this year to win a race and he did so in convincing fashion as the Spaniard took his 29th premier class win and 103rd podium at the Italian track. He fought back up from a tough qualifying position on the third row and in doing so kept his fantastic record of a race win in every year of his MotoGP career in tact.
8. Jorge Lorenzo (Mugello):
Valentino Rossi may have been unable to score, but the fans in Mugello were treated to a do or die duel between Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez. Marquez looked to have the race won as they exited the final corner but his front wheel lifted ever so slightly, Lorenzo able to grab an incredible photo finish victory. 0.019s is all that separated them across the line, the closest finish of the year.
9. Andrea Dovizioso (Sepang):
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took his second-ever victory at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, as he navigated the torrential conditions of Sepang to emerge as the ninth winner of 2016. After dueling for the lead earlier in the race, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) came home in second position, with teammate Jorge Lorenzo completing the podium for third. Dovizioso’s spectacular win was the second win this season for the Borgo Panigale factory after a long drought since 2010.
10. Cal Crutchlow (Brno):
After a torrential Moto2 race at the Automotodrom Brno, it was the turn of the MotoGP machines to head out as the rain was just starting to stop, leaving the prospect of a flag-to-flag hanging over the race. In the end it wasn’t to be and it was Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) who sliced through the field in one of the most spectacular victories in recent years, taking the flag to become the first British winner for 35 years.