MotoGP battle in Brno was breathtaking | Report | Results

Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky

MotoGP 2018 – Round 10 – Brno

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) has taken his second win of the season in incredible style in the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky as a three-way fight for the win raged between the 04, his Ducati teammate Jorge Lorenzo and reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).

By the flag it was a Lorenzo vs Marquez classic on the final lap to decide the podium positions, with the ‘Spartan’ taking second and Marquez, on his 100th MotoGP start, forced to settle for third – nevertheless marginally extending his Championship lead. It was also an anniversary for ‘DesmoDovi’ as the Italian celebrated his 100th race for Ducati with the win.

Race Report

Valentino Rossi took the holeshot from second on the grid, with polesitter Dovizioso just losing out and shuffled back a place as Marquez retained his P3 through the first corner.

Lorenzo wasn’t able to make a move from the second row and settled into fourth, with drama then hitting the early stages as a multi-rider incident saw Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and wildcard Stefan Bradl (HRC Honda Team) crash out.

At the front ‘DesmoDovi’ was quick to strike for the lead and he and Rossi dueled it out, but it was the 04 Ducati ahead over the line.

Marquez then began to attack Rossi, before Lorenzo struck instead and picked the pocket of the number 93.

Dovi led Rossi led Lorenzo led Marquez and it seemed it could be in for another Dutch GP battle royal – but that wasn’t to become the story of the race.

It first became a long train with Dovizioso at the front and squabbles breaking out throughout, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) vs Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) vs both and the fight at the front stretching all the way from Dovi through Rossi, Marquez, Petrucci, Crutchlow, Zarco, Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team).

By ten laps to go, however, a group of six had begun to emerge, including those who would fight for the win. Dovizioso, Marquez, Rossi, Crutchlow, Lorenzo and Petrucci had pulled out a gap, and the final showdown would be whittled down further.

With expected race pace within the 1:56s and no one putting that in, it was a game of tactics – before five laps to go saw Lorenzo take Crutchlow to put Marquez in the middle of the Ducati duo at the front. The pin was soon to be pulled.

A lap later and the laptimes dropped – with Dovizioso, Marquez and Lorenzo all bolting in unison to suddenly pull out a gap on Crutchlow and Rossi on the chase.

The trio slammed down into the 1:56s and showed their hand, setting up the Czech GP for an incredible final few laps.

Lorenzo was the first to make a serious move, attacking Marquez on the inside of Turn 14 and carrying the momentum up the inside of Dovizioso at the final corner in a stunning almost-double overtake…but it didn’t stick.

‘DesmoDovi’ took it back as Lorenzo headed a bit wide and was forced back into second, but the gloves were off.

On the penultimate lap Lorenzo attacked for the lead again but again headed wide, with Dovi slicing back through before Marquez tried it near the end of the lap against Lorenzo.

Marquez attacked Lorenzo at Turn 4 as the duel began, but the ‘Spartan’ hit back with a stunner into Turn 6 that sat up the reigning Champion.

With Dovizioso then with a bit of margin at the front, the number 99 Ducati threw everything at it to chase down his teammate – but through the final corner neither was just close enough for that final attack.

That made it an impressive second win of the season for Dovizioso and his first at Brno, with Lorenzo second and Marquez completing the podium on his 100th MotoGP start.

The fight wasn’t over, however. Just behind the breathless battle for the lead, another duel was lighting up the final lap, and it was Rossi who was able to pick the pocket of Crutchlow and beat the Brit to the line by just hundredths – taking the rider from Tavullia over the 6000 career points mark 22 years after his first ever GP win taken at Brno.

Petrucci took sixth ahead of Zarco, with Pedrosa pouncing on the Suzuki riders to take eighth by the end. Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) was also able to move forward and took ninth in his 150th premier class race, with Iannone beating Rins to the honour of completing the top ten.

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was P12 ahead of top rookie Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) back from injury, with fellow debutant Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) for pretty close company in fourteenth. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), also returning from injury, completed the points scorers.

So that’s it from a frenetic fight for the win at the incredible Czech adrenaline factory of the Automotodrom Brno – but don’t worry, there’s not long to wait for more as MotoGP heads for the hills of Austria and the Red Bull Ring this weekend for a back-to-back thriller.

MotoGP 2018 – Round 10 – Brno – MotoGP Results

1 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 25 Ducati Team Ducati 41’07.728
2 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 20 Ducati Team Ducati 0.178
3 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 16 Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.368
4 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 13 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 2.902
5 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 11 LCR Honda Honda 2.958
6 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 10 Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 3.768
7 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 9 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 6.159
8 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 8 Repsol Honda Team Honda 7.479
9 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 7 Angel Nieto Team Ducati 7.575
10 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 6 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 8.326
11 RINS Alex 42 SPA 5 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 8.653
12 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 4 Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 16.549
13 MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA 3 EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 19.603
14 SYAHRIN Hafizh 55 MAL 2 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 21.381
15 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 1 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 23.159
16 LUTHI Tom 12 SWI 0 EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 27.673
17 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN 0 LCR Honda Honda 28.311
18 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 0 Angel Nieto Team Ducati 41.172
19 GUINTOLI Sylvain 50 FRA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 42.411
20 SIMEON Xavier 10 BEL 0 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 50.941
21 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 0 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 13 laps
22 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 16 laps
23 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 20 laps
24 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 0 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha
25 BRADL Stefan 6 GER 0 Team HRC Honda

MotoGP World Championship Points

1 Marc MARQUEZ Honda SPA 181
2 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 132
3 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati ITA 113
4 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 109
5 Jorge LORENZO Ducati SPA 105
6 Johann ZARCO Yamaha FRA 97
7 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 94
8 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda GBR 90
9 Andrea IANNONE Suzuki ITA 81
10 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 61
11 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 58
12 Dani PEDROSA Honda SPA 57
13 Alvaro BAUTISTA Ducati SPA 51
14 Pol ESPARGARO KTM SPA 32
15 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 30
16 Hafizh SYAHRIN Yamaha MAL 24
17 Franco MORBIDELLI Honda ITA 22
18 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 17
19 Bradley SMITH KTM GBR 13
20 Scott REDDING Aprilia GBR 12
21 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 10
22 Mika KALLIO KTM FIN 6
23 Karel ABRAHAM Ducati CZE

Moto2

A second win of the season for the Portuguese rider as he beats Marini in last lap battle
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) brilliantly battled his way to his second victory of the season in a phenomenal Moto2™ race at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky, fending off pole sitter Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) on the final lap as the Italian picked up his second consecutive podium. His teammate Francesco Bagnaia crossed the line third, conceding the lead in the Championship to Oliveira in the process.

In a classic Brno battle, it was Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) who got the best launch as the lights went out, but it was Marini who led the pack heading into Turn 3, before the Spaniard moved to the front. It was a disastrous start for fellow Spaniard and teammate Joan Mir though, as he and the two Tech 3 Racing riders of Bo Bendsneyder and Remy Gardner crashed out of contention at Turn 5 – riders ok.

By lap four, Marquez had dropped to fifth and it was the two Sky Racing Team VR46 men who hit the front, with Oliveria and Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) keeping tabs on the two Italians. The younger Marquez brother then found his rhythm and bridged the gap to the leading quartet, getting himself into P3 before disaster struck – sliding out of contention at the final corner on lap nine.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) had made ground and joined the four at the front, quickly dispatching Vierge, Oliveira and Marini, before taking the lead on lap 13. Tyres then became a major factor as grip levels started to wear thin, with Oliveira making his way to the front at Turn 3 on Lap 16, immediately creating a 0.4 gap before Marini was able to reel the Portuguese rider back in. By this time Vierge had dropped to 1.2 seconds back, with Bagnaia and Baldassarri then losing touch on the leading two with a lap to go.

Marini led the last lap after making a pass stick at Turn 3, before Oliveira fought back at the bottom of horsepower hill. The Italian then made his lunge up the inside heading into the penultimate corner, but the number 44 held the outside line to have the inside at the final turn – winning the drag race to the line and taking the Championship lead.

Bagnaia beat Baldassarri in the battle for the final podium position, with Vierge just managing to hold off Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 5th and 6th for the two respectively. Friday’s pace setter Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) came home seventh, with Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) grabbing his second consecutive top ten in eighth as he recovers some form.

Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) recovered well from a P22 grid position to earn a P9 finish at Brno, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) rounding out the top ten. Fabio Quartararo (Boost – Speed Up Racing) was 11th, with Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP40) impressing again in 12th for yet more points. Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors), Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) and Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) completed the point scoring positions in 13th, 14th and 15th.

The Moto2 title pendulum swings once again as Oliveira takes over at the top as Austria beckons, can Bagnaia bounce back with a bang in Spielberg?

Remy Gardner was unfortunately involved in a three rider incident at turn 5 which brought his race to a premature end.  Thankfully not injured Remy is now focused on making amends at the Red Bull Ring In Austria next weekend.

Remy Gardner

“After qualifying I knew I needed a good start. I got off the line well and made up a few places on the opening couple of corners. When I got to Turn 5 Mir slowed mid corner, I sat the bike up to try to miss him but I had nowhere to go and we went down. It’s an unlucky way to end the weekend on the first lap but I just have to look ahead to the next one. I’m sorry to Joan and to Bo who was also caught up in the incident but as I say I wasn’t trying to make a pass or do anything stupid early on, it’s just really unlucky.”

MotoGP 2018 – Round 10 – Brno – Moto2 Results

1 – Miguel Oliveira (POR) KTM 39’22.324
2 – Luca Marini (ITA) KALEX +0.070
3 – Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) KALEX +0.525

Moto2 World Championship Points

1 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 166
2 Francesco BAGNAIA Kalex ITA 164
3 Alex MARQUEZ Kalex SPA 113
4 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Kalex ITA 106
5 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 101
6 Joan MIR Kalex SPA 95
7 Xavi VIERGE Kalex SPA 90
8 Marcel SCHROTTER Kalex GER 82
9 Fabio QUARTARARO Speed Up FRA 77
10 Mattia PASINI Kalex ITA 69
11 Luca MARINI Kalex ITA 63
12 Sam LOWES KTM GBR 46
13 Iker LECUONA KTM SPA 35
14 Simone CORSI Kalex ITA 32
15 Jorge NAVARRO Kalex SPA 31
16 Andrea LOCATELLI Kalex ITA 29
17 Dominique AEGERTER KTM SWI 24
18 Remy GARDNER Tech 3 AUS 20
19 Augusto FERNANDEZ Kalex SPA 11
20 Hector BARBERA Kalex SPA 10

Moto3

The Italian battled hard to eventually beat Canet and home hero Kornfeil at the Czech GP
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) produced a perfect ride to secure his first Grand Prix win at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky in a race that saw a lead battle of 22 riders at one point, with the Italian beating Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) into second and pole man and home hero Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrustelGP) claiming a fantastic podium in third.

It was the Czech rider who got a great launch from pole position to grab the holeshot with John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) – who suffered a Lap 10 crash at the final corner – and Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) slotting in behind the number 84. Kornfeil was then on a mission, opening up a 0.8 second lead by the end of the first lap, and held that lead until the gaggle of chasing riders reeled him in by the end of Lap 3.

From here on in, the lightweight class race was nothing short of spectacular as a leading group of 22 formed, with P1 swapping and changing lap-by-lap. ‘Diggia’ made his way forward and the eventual race winner was in and around the top three for the majority of the second half of the race, with Turn 7 a particular strong overtaking point for the Italian. Heading into the last lap, Kornfeil’s dream home victory was in sight, but it was Di Giannantonio and Canet who managed to get through and create a small gap – the Del Conca Gresini rider then able to hold firm to take the checkered flag. After heartbreak at Le Mans earlier in the season when the Italian had crossed the line first but was demoted from the win by a time penalty, ‘Diggia’ didn’t have to wait too long to get that victory feeling.

After languishing down outside the top ten for much of the race, Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) recovered in the final laps to earn an important P4, holding off Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) on the final lap as the Argentine rounded out the top five. At one point it looked like Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) wouldn’t be able to take advantage of Jorge Martin’s (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) absence through injury, but a P6 finish from P14 on the grid means he re-takes the Championship lead heading to Austria – but it’s just three points the gap.

Ramirez ended up seventh after a fantastic race in the lead group, with Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) eventually coming home P8 after leading the race. Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top ten in P9 and P10 respectively.

11th was Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) on board his Honda, with Dennis Foggia (SKY Racing Team VR46) crossing the line 12th after he had earlier briefly led the race. Kazuki Masaki (RBA BOE Skull Rider) came home 13th, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was 14th and Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) was the final point scorer in P15 – 2.770 seconds splitting the top 15 in the fifth closest Moto3 race in history.

MotoGP 2018 – Round 10 – Brno – Moto3 Results

1 – Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) HONDA 39’09.124
2 – Aron Canet (SPA) Honda +0.112
3 – Jakub Kornfeil (CZE) KTM +0.339

Moto3 World Championship Points

1 Marco BEZZECCHI KTM ITA 133
2 Jorge MARTIN Honda SPA 130
3 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Honda ITA 116
4 Aron CANET Honda SPA 112
5 Enea BASTIANINI Honda ITA 97
6 Jakub KORNFEIL KTM CZE 77
7 Gabriel RODRIGO KTM ARG 76
8 Marcos RAMIREZ KTM SPA 66
9 Andrea MIGNO KTM ITA 60
10 Philipp OETTL KTM GER 52