Scintillating second for Marquez in explosive Austrian GP

Another all-out ride from Marc Marquez at the Red Bull Ring saw championship leader fight for victory until the flag as Bradl continued his points run with an impressive recovery.

Saturday’s sunshine eventually returned to the Austrian GP after a sodden Warm Up. Come the start of the MotoGP race, conditions were closer to what riders had experienced over the course of the weekend with 23°C air temperature and the track at 32°C.

When the lights went out, Marc Marquez’s race got off to a hair raising start as he and Andrea Dovizioso battled into Turn 3 which saw the reigning World Champion run wide and down to fifth spot. Undeterred, Marquez put his head down and pushed on aboard his RC213V, quickly chasing down race leader Fabio Quartararo.

Lap eight saw Marquez move back into the lead for the first time, Dovizioso briefly challenging to take the lead. The World Championship leader was able to control the middle phase of the race before Dovizioso moved back through on lap 20. Biding his time, Marquez left it late to launch his counter attack and brought the 87,595 fans at the Red Bull Ring to their feet with a stunning set of final laps. Bradl will now head to Finland to sample the newly built Kymi Ring.

The battle went down to the final corner, Marquez taking second place by 0.213s as he tried to hold off Dovizioso. With his haul of 20 points, Marquez controls a healthy 58-point advantage in the MotoGP World Championship standings after finishing in the top two for eight straight races. Honda continues to lead the Constructor standings with 236 points.

With Saturday’s troubles behind him, Stefan Bradl put in a spirited ride at the Austrian GP to make it four point-scoring finishes from four starts in 2019. The German quickly made up ground from 21st as the lights went out and was in the points within just a few laps. Ultimately taking 13th place after recovering eight positions, Bradl leaves Austria pleased with what he achieved.

The Repsol Honda Team now head for the United Kingdom and round 12 of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship at Silverstone, August 23 to 25. Jorge Lorenzo is set to make his racing return at the British circuit after recovering from the back injury he sustained in Assen.

Sun 10th March: Marquez fights for second in 22-lap Qatar thriller, Lorenzo scores on debut

Marquez lit up the Qatar night with second place after a race-long brawl as Lorenzo worked his way up to 13th place.

With Warm Up held in the late afternoon and still under the daylight, it only offered the Repsol Honda Team a brief chance to confirm their settings ahead of 2019’s opening Grand Prix. As the sun set and the floodlights flickered to life the ambient temperature settled at 18ºC with the track at 19ºC.

Marc Marquez held his own in the opening laps, keeping out of trouble and moving ahead of the chasing pack with Andrea Dovizioso. The reigning World Champion was soon joined in his hunt for victory, a frantic melee between the leading seven riders playing out over the next 20 laps. Just 0.023s split Marquez from Andrea Dovizioso as they crossed the line, Marquez opening his 2019 account with 20 points.

After yesterdays pair of heavy falls, Jorge Lorenzo’s Repsol Honda Team debut was heavily restricted by lingering pain in his back and shoulder. Focusing on his own rhythm and understanding the Honda over race distance, Lorenzo battled to 13th to earn three points on his debut.

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow completed the podium in third.

The MotoGP™ World Championship now prepares for Round Two at the Argentina Grand Prix, March 29 – 31 hosted at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit.

Masterful Marquez takes first Thai win

It was another master-class race for Championship leader Marc Marquez, who took the first MotoGP win ever in Thailand in front of a cheering, enthusiast crowd of more than 100.000 spectators. Marc’s seventh victory of the season is also the 68th of his career, putting him equal with Jorge Lorenzo as the fifth-most winning rider across all classes. It was a hat-track weekend for the Spaniard, who earned pole position, set the lap record and earned the victory.

Marc’s win came down to the last corner of the last lap, thanks to a thrilling battle with title contender Andrea Dovizioso. The points scenario makes the next round, the Grand Prix of Japan, the first match point for the MotoGP Title.

On the other side of the garage, a crash at turn five on lap 18 was a true shame for Dani Pedrosa, as it ended what until then had been his best race of the season; Pedrosa was charging forward from the back, with hopes of launching himself into the podium battle.

Credit: HRC News

Marquez wins spectacular Aragon battle to take his sixth win this season

On a sunny and hot Sunday at Aragon Marc Marquez took a gamble and won, choosing a soft rear tyre over a more familiar hard spec, in the end winning a fantastic three-way battle with title contender Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Lannone and extended his Championship lead to 72 points with five races to go in the 2018 MotoGP season.

Today’s brilliant success is not only Marc’s fifth at Aragon and sixth win this season, but also his 67th career victory and 41st in MotoGP, meaning that he is now tied with Mike Hailwood (41) for fourth place on the list of riders with the most GP wins with Honda, behind Jim Redman (45), Dani Pedrosa (54), and Mick Doohan (54).

Dani Pedrosa took a solid result in fifth place, displaying a good pace during the entire race and finishing close to the front group.

In less than two weeks the Repsol Honda Team will fly to Thailand for the first race in the Country to be held at the Buriram International Circuit.

Credit: HRC News

Marquez increases his points lead, taking hard-fought 2nd in Austria

Yesterday Sunday 12th August,  Marc Marquez scored a hard-fought second place at a sunny Red Bull Ring, sharing the podium with race-winner Jorge Lorenzo and third-place rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Marc ultimately missed the win by only 0.130”, and definitely not for lack of trying. After taking the lead on the second lap, he tried to pull a gap at the front, but Lorenzo and Dovizioso closely chased him for most of the race. An inevitable battle was looming.

It began on lap 19 and had all of the 92,955 spectators on the edges of their seats until the last lap. At that point, it was duel between the two fellow countrymen, as Dovizioso had fallen slightly behind.

Although he still has yet to tame the Red Bull Ring, Marc leaves the track with an increased advantage in the points standings (+59 over Valentino Rossi) and the enjoyment he always feels after having given it his all in a race battle.

Dani Pedrosa also made some good overtakes today that allowed him to cross the finish line in seventh place, despite a mishap soon after the start having dropped him from a ninth-place grid spot to 14th at the end of the first lap.

The Repsol Honda Team is now leading the Team standings, Honda the Constructor and Marc Marquez the Rider Standings.

Credit: HRC News