News 16 Jul 2018

Marquez blitzes field in commanding Sachsenring victory

Miller recovers from early incident for P14 in Germany.

Source: Supplied.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has re-written another piece of history in the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, storming the Sachsenring from a ninth pole in a row to take his ninth win in a row across all classes.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoG) took second and maintains his second place in the standings after an impressive bounce back after a tough Friday at the track, with the podium completed by teammate Maverick Viñales.

At lights out it was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) who got the holeshot from pole, moving from third into the lead as Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) slotted into second – with Marquez shuffled back into third. Rossi made a good start from sixth to move into fourth ahead of teammate Viñales, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) the key man to lose out from fifth.

Once at the front, Lorenzo set about putting the hammer down, making it the sixth race in succession the Mallorcan has led. It didn’t take too long for Marquez to make his way through to be the man behind his compatriot, however, and a game of cat and mouse began at the front as Marquez reeled in the rhythm ahead of him.

Meanwhile Rossi attacked Petrucci for third and moved through, as Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) then crashed out at Turn 12, the Brit’s say in the podium fight over early. Lorenzo was holding firm at the front, but Marquez then chose his moment and struck – taking over in the lead and leaving Lorenzo to be reeled in by Rossi.

That the Italian did, and the rider from Tavullia got his own hammer down once past to try and claw back some time to Marquez, but it wasn’t to be. The number 93 pulled the pin with perfect timing, with enough grip left to see him make a gap and keep it until crossing the line for stunning ninth win in a row at the Sachsenring – and all from pole.

Rossi was then safe in second for another podium finish, but teammate Viñales left it late to complete the rostrum. First Petrucci was the man pushing to pass a Lorenzo struggling with grip, before Viñales arrived on the scene and attacked the Mallorcan and then the Italian to take third and a second successive podium.

That made Petrucci top Independent Team rider in a well-fought fourth, just ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team)’s stunning ride to fifth. Bautista was the fastest man on track for a good number of laps and kept that incredible form to the end, the final man able to muscle past Lorenzo by the flag.

Lorenzo took P6 ahead of a tough day for teammate Andrea Dovizioso, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) putting in a solid ride to eighth. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) improved from his worst qualifying of the season so far to take ninth despite the difficult weekend, with an incredible ride from Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) putting the Brit in tenth to take KTM’s first top 10 of the season.

Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was top rookie in 11th and takes over at the top of the Rookie of the Year standings, ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who was caught in an early incident that saw Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) make contact with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and both go down – also affecting Iannone and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing).

Miller finished P14, with Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) between him and Iannone. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the points.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed the first South African Moto2 class win since 1980 at the German grand prix, after a sublime ride, beating Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) to victory as the Spaniard claimed his best Moto2 result in second, with Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) claiming his first Grand Prix podium in third.

The top five was completed by Miguel Oliveria (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), while Aussie contender Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) wound up in an impressive 11th position after starting from P20.

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took a perfectly-timed win in Moto3, fighting at the front throughout before pulling the pin to perfection in the latter stages to escape the chasing pack.

It was championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) who crossed the line second in some solid damage limitation to keep close in the standings, with John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) putting some recent disappointments to bed as he got back on the podium with an impressive third. Fourth and fifth were awarded to Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) and Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0).

The MotoGP World Championship now heads into a three-week break before returning to action on 5 August at Brno in the Czech Republic.

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