Perfect end to 2019 for Triple Crown winners Repsol Honda Team as Lorenzo says good bye

Jorge Lorenzo ended an incredible 18-year Grand Prix career with an emotional Valencia race, helping the Repsol Honda Team to clinch the Triple Crown alongside another dominating Marquez win.

For the third year in succession the Repsol Honda Team celebrate the end of a MotoGP season with the Triple Crown after winning the Riders, Teams and Constructors Championships. The accomplishment completes an incredible year full of records and achievements as Honda celebrates their 60th anniversary of racing.

Marquez made quick work of the riders ahead of him as the lights went out on the final race of 2019, moving into second place on the third lap. With just Fabio Quartararo ahead of him, Marquez methodically cut the gap from almost a second to just two tenths in five laps. Striking at Turn 11, Marquez only needed one chance to move to the front and quickly amassed an insurmountable lead.

A 12th victory signs off Marquez’s 2019 season in perfect style and matches the number of wins he achieved in his dominating 2014 season. Earning 420 points across the 19 races of 2019, Marquez becomes the first rider in history to score more than 400 points in a single season. With his 95th premier class podium, he draws level with Mick Doohan as the second most prolific Honda podium finisher in the premier class.

After 297 Grand Prix starts, Jorge Lorenzo’s marked the end of his legendary MotoGP World Championship career with his best finish since returning from injury. The five-time World Champion bid a fond farewell to Grand Prix racing with a 13th place finish in front of an adoring Spanish crowd. With 68 wins, 152 podiums and 69 poles, Lorenzo bows out with some the most impressive stats to his name in Grand Prix history.

This is the Repsol Honda Team’s ninth Triple Crown since the MotoGP class began in 2002, cementing them the most dominant team and constructor in the premier class. For the first time in the four-stroke era, the team has managed to take three Triple Crowns in a row.

Riders will be back out on track on Tuesday, November 19 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the first test of 2020 before moving to Jerez a few days later.

Honda clinch 2018 MotoGP Triple Crown in soaked Valencia, at Dani Pedrosa’s final race

Dani Pedrosa completed his racing career in Valencia, scoring a fifth-place finish in incredibly tricky weather conditions that caused the crashes of nine riders—2018 World Champion Marc Marquez among them—and prompted Race Direction to interrupt the first race on lap 13 and re-start a new one half an hour later.

Marc suffered a crash from third place at Turn 9 on lap seven and was therefore unable to take part in the second stint. Dani restarted from fourth in the 14-lap second race and closed fifth, bringing to 46 points the final advantage with which the Repsol Honda Team secured the Team Championship, thereby earning back-to-back MotoGP Triple Crowns, having already achieved the Riders Title in Japan and the Constructors Title in Malaysia. He commented:

“For sure I had a particular feeling before today’s race, knowing that the moment of my final race had arrived. Well, actually it turned out that I had two! Unfortunately the weather was really tricky. In both races, I struggled so much with the rear and couldn’t really get on the gas. I was actually expecting to have a better feeling in the second race, as there was less water on the track. But we changed the tyres and I had no grip, so I could only try and finish the race with no crashes. It’s a bit of a shame, but when I got back to the pits, I found everybody waiting for me—the team, my family, my people—and there was a very emotional atmosphere. I was pleased to see their emotion. It meant a lot to me. Now I’ll have several events to attend, but after that I’ll try and have some time to myself and relax a bit before next year.”

Dani ends a highly successful 18-year GP career, all of it as a Honda rider, having achieved three World Titles (125 in 2003, 250 in 2004 and 2005) 49 poles, 54 wins, 153 podiums and 64 fastest laps out of 295 starts.

After celebrating at the FIM MotoGP Awards ceremony on Sunday evening, the Repsol Honda Team will start 2019 winter test season on Tuesday, with a two-day test.

Source: HRC News