Marc’s masterclass
Marquez wins rain-soaked San Marino GP
MISANO: World champion Marc Marquez of Spain won the San Marino MotoGP in slippery conditions to join Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso at the top of the world championship standings.
Marquez, on a Honda, finished ahead of Italy’s Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci on a wet track with Dovizioso, also on a Ducati, finishing third.
Both Marquez and Dovizioso have 199 points in the world championship standings with five races left in the season.
“I tried to control my pace throughout the race and in these conditions I had to be patient, but in the end I had to go for it,” said Marquez after claiming his fourth win of the season.
“It’s a very important victory. We have to keep pushing, we have a good level,” added the Spaniard with the next race at home in Aragon on Sept 24.
It was a 59th career win for Marquez, who started from third on the grid and took the lead from Petrucci on the final lap to secure his 33rd win in the MotoGP category.
The top three in the title race lined up on the front row but it was Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo who got the best start from the second row.
But Lorenzo was one of several riders to come off his bike in the slippery conditions along with fellow Spaniard Hector Barbera.
Petrucci battled with the reigning champion and Marquez finally pounced on the last lap to notch up a 25-point haul.
Earlier Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (Suter) won the Moto2 race ahead of Kalex duo Thomas Luthi of Switzerland and Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, to claim his second career win.
Italy’s Romano Fenati of Honda defied driving rain to claim his eighth career win in Moto3.
In a race hampered by numerous falls and skids off the track, Fenati finished ahead of Spanish championship leader Joan Mir and Italy’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, both also riding for Honda.