Marquez takes historic 50th win at Brno | Jack Miller third

2019 MotoGP – Round 10 – Brno

Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky

It was a historic weekend at the Grand Prix České republiky, with Marc Marquez once again making his mark, taking pole and then the holeshot despite a dramatic downpour which delayed the start. Marquez then went on to claim his 50th premiere win, with Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso runner up, and Australian Jack Miller on the final podium position as the top Independent.

Brno MotoGP Race Report

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 and Miller found themselves struggling a little more with grip.

Initially, it became a four rider fight with Marquez, Dovizioso, Alex Rins and Miller creating a gap over just over a second back to Pol Espargaro, who had Valentino Rossi 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 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.

Danilo Petrucci’s run of top six finishes in 2019 came to an end with a P8 in Brno, the Italian ahead of ninth place Takaaki Nakagami. After a bad start, Maverick Viñales 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, with his fellow rookie Miguel Oliveira taking P13 and just ahead of Zarco. Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement, Stefan Bradl, completed the points.

Hafizh Syahrin crashed at Turn 10 on Lap 7 – rider ok, and a crash took down Franco Morbidelli and Joan Mir fter 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 – P1

“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.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P2

“I’m happy with my second place today and the fact that we were fast all through the weekend, even though unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win the race. I opted for a different rear tyre to Marquez and at the start I pushed hard to stay close to him, but when he began to brake harder I didn’t have any margin to push harder at the front. Pity, but we weren’t that far away from him, so we have to continue to believe in ourselves: I’m still positive because tomorrow there will be an important test day here at Brno, with a lot of new material to try out.”

Jack Miller – P3

“I am very satisfied with this result and I thank the team because this weekend we have done an extraordinary job. When Rins overtook me I stayed calm and this allowed me to manage the tyre and then attack him in the final. The delayed start? Turn 1 would have been very dangerous. It was the right decision and it’s nice to see how much Dorna cares about our safety.”

Brno MotoGP Results/Championship Standings

Moto2

Alex Marquez took control of the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky for another dominant win, coming home over three seconds clear of his closest challengers. They were two rookies: Fabio Di Giannantonio took second after initially proving the only man to have close to Marquez’ speed, and Enea Bastianini completed the podium after a late charge through. It’s the first visit to the rostrum for both in the intermediate class.

Off the line, it was a lightening start from Sam Lowes as the Brit took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Marquez dropped back into second ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri. But by Turn 3, the number 73 had already hit the front and by the end of the first lap, he was nearing a second clear…could anyone catch him?

Di Giannantonio set about trying to. He was soon up to third and began to hunt down Lowes, attacking at Turn 1 on Lap 2 and then setting off in hot pursuit of Marquez. Initially the Italian rookie was nearly three tenths quicker, but the Spaniard responded a lap later to keep the gap stable between the two. That’s when disaster struck for Tom Lüthi as the Swiss rider suddenly crashed out of contention at Turn 5, seeing his deficit in the Championship leap from eight points to, as it would turn out, over thirty.

Back at the front, Marquez wasn’t for turning and Marcel Schrötter was up to third ahead of the Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini and Nicolo Bulega. But Jorge Navarro was on a charge in sixth, ahead of Brad Binder, with Bastianini already having gained ten places up to 18th. Lowes then crashed, as did Mattia Pasini, before Navarro attacked Bulega for fourth. He then took Schrötter and Marini, with Speed Up seemingly looking at their first double podium since 2010.

Bastianini, however, was on a mission. He took Schrötter before closing down Navarro in the final two laps, setting up a grandstand finish. As Alex Marquez took yet another incredible win – and his team’s 100th Moto2 podium – to extend his Championship lead to 33 points, ‘Diggia’ following him home for his first podium in the intermediate class and the battle was on on the final lap to decide who would join them on the podium. It came down to Turn 10, with the ‘Beast’ slicing through and Navarro unable to respond.

The Spaniard therefore took fourth ahead of Marini, with Schrötter coming home in sixth. Nicolo Bulega continued his positive weekend to come home with his best result in Moto2 in seventh, ahead of Augusto Fernandez, who holds onto third overall but is now equal on points with Navarro in fourth. Tetsuta Nagashima shot through from 17th on the grid to confirm his pace in Czechia in P9, with Iker Lecuona completing the top ten.

Baldassarri slipped down to P11, Binder crashed out, and Marco Bezzecchi took his best result of his rookie year in the intermediate class in P12, just ahead of fellow KTM-riding rookie Jorge Martin. Andrea Locatelli and Somkiat Chantra completed the points.

After a tough day for Tom Lüthi, Marquez heads to Austria 33 points clear and in clear command. But there’s a long way to go in 2019 and every chance it wasn’t ‘Czech mate’ at Brno, so tune in for Round 11 from the Red Bull Ring on Sunday 11th August.

Alex Marquez – P1

“I’m so happy today, it was an amazing race and I enjoyed it on the bike, it was unbelievable. it was a long race because leading from the first lap to the end isn’t easy but I had clear ideas that in the beginning I needed to push because our rivals started behind, so I wanted to make a gap in the beginning and I did it. So I’m really happy, thanks to the team they did an unbelievable job so thanks for that…five, but we need to keep going like this, there’s still a lot of Championship to go and we need to continue like this!”

Remy Gardner just outside points

Remy Gardner returned to racing after the summer break, finishing sixteenth after a nineteen-lap fight around the 3.357-mile Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic. Fully focused, Remy topped Qualifying One which meant the SAG Racing rider would be in the Pole Position fight. Opting to stay on wet tyres the Brno Circuit dried, Remy ultimately qualifying on row five.

Moving into twelfth by the end of the opening lap, Gardner was unable to continue his ascent forwards, dropping back through the field to finish just outside of the points scoring positions in sixteenth.

Remy Gardner

“It’s easy to say that in qualifying we were on the wrong tyre. We made a call and it just wasn’t the right one. I found it hard all weekend with finding a general set-up, but we kept working. The race itself was far from perfect. I made a decent start, but we just didn’t have the setting and I struggled. I kept my head down and was close to the points but it’s not the result we deserve. We know we are faster than that, so we need to come back stronger in Austria next weekend. Thanks to everyone for the constant support.”

Moto2 Race Results Brno/Championship Standings

Moto3

Aron Canet has taken back the Championship lead in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky, fighting it out at the front throughout a classic, chaotic Moto3 race to come home a tenth and a half ahead of key rival Lorenzo Dalla Porta.

The two men remain only three points apart at the top of the standings, just with the roles now reversed. Tony Arbolino completed the podium from pole ahead of Jaume Masia, although it was the man in fifth who stole the headlines as Niccolo Antonelli took an awesome P5 from pitlane.

Arbolino got the holeshot from pole, with some immediate drama hitting the pack off the line: John McPhee suffered an issue from second on the grid, the Scot left slow in the field and those behind forced into avoiding action. Most succeeded, but wildcard Yuki Kunii did clip the number 17 and went down. McPhee, then also carrying damage, managed to stay upright, although he retired.

Meanwhile at the front, rookie Raul Fernandez was making short work of the race lead as he pushed past Arbolino, with Tatsuki Suzuki for close company too. Sure enough, however, it soon became a classic Moto3 group fight at the front. And after regrouping for a few laps, it was the VNE Snipers duo of Arbolino and teammate Romano Fenati who led the way, that lasting until 10 laps to go, with Dalla Porta then attacking for, and keeping, the lead.

Canet wasn’t going to let his key rival escape from the pack, however, and with three laps to go produced a fantastic two-rider pass into Turn 3 to get himself up into the top three. Four of the top five in the overall standings were in a battle at the front: Dalla Porta, Canet, Arbolino and Antonelli. But who would emerge victorious?

The last lap board was signalled and Dalla Porta held firm, but Arbolino got the better of him into Turn 3 and Canet then followed him through into second, having started the last lap in fourth. Then, on the exit of Turn 9, Canet was able to capitalise on a small mistake from Arbolino and moved through to the lead, head down and the Spaniard faultless to the line. He would prove uncatchable through the latter half of the lap, taking his second win of the year by a tenth and a half.

Behind Canet, Dalla Porta at least managed to get past Arbolino to do some damage control and stay within three points of the top, the number 48 forced to settle for second for the fifth time this year. Polesitter Arbolino completed the podium and moves up to fourth in the standings, just ahead of the man he also pipped on track: Masia.

Niccolo Antonelli, meanwhile, completed his absolute charge in fifth. The Italian was forced to start from pitlane after a problem on the grid and was electrifying in his progress through the field. First getting into the fight for points, then the top ten and then, incredibly, starting to get involved in the podium fight, the number 23’s race was a masterclass in comebacks. On the final lap he was well within the fight, but ultimately couldn’t quite make the podium, coming home in fifth. But Antonelli’s deficit to the win, from pitlane, was under half a second.

Ai Ogura was an impressive presence in the front group once again and the Japanese rookie took sixth for the third time in four races, now only 12 points behind Rookie of the Year leader Celestino Vietti, who crashed in Czechia.

Andrea Migno was seventh after a solid ride for solid points, getting the better of veteran compatriot Romano Fenati, who slipped down to P8 by the end of the race. Home hero Jakub Kornfeil made a stunning charge through the field from 20th on the grid to come home in ninth, able to escape the clutches of Darryn Binder… the man who started just behind him.

Ayumu Sasaki continued the trend of huge progress through the field in 11th having started 24th, the Japanese rider able to get past early leader Raul Fernandez, who took P12. Makar Yurchenko had a solid Sunday for more points in P13, ahead of Can Öncü and Dennis Foggia.

Suzuki was a crasher from the front group early on, and home hero Filip Salač also went down. Estrella Galicia 0,0 teammates Sergio Garcia and Alonso Lopez tangled and failed to finish, and Kaito Toba crashed.

Now we pack up and head for the Red Bull Ring next weekend, with the roles reversed but the gap exactly the same. Who will come out on top in Austria? Find out when we race again on Sunday 11th August.

Aron Canet – P1

“It didn’t go exactly to plan because I overtook Antonelli around the outside at the first corner, and my strategy in Turn 3 was overtaking to stay in second place and try to fight in the last corners. Then after the third corner I was in second and I was thinking, ‘ok now you only need to overtake Arbolino’. And when I’d done that, I pushed so hard and closed the door at every corner. The race is for my grandmother and for my trainer Carlos. We bet that if I win here, I shave my head…so now I have to do that!”

Moto3 Race Results Brno/ Championship Standings