Marquez wins Aragon MotoGP, Rossi 5th on return from injury
Marc Marquez won the Aragon MotoGP on Sunday for his second straight victory, taking the outright championship lead with four races to go.
Marquez rode his Honda to victory after starting fifth on the grid, finishing comfortably ahead of fellow Spaniards Dani Pedrosa of Honda and Jorge Lorenzo of Ducati.
Pole-sitter Maverick Vinales ended fourth, just ahead of Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, who was racing for the first time since undergoing surgery for breaking two bones in his right leg while training with an offroad motorcycle three weeks ago. The nine-time world champion missed the San Marino GP because of the injury.
Marquez, who crashed in qualifying on Saturday, nearly lost control while trying to get past Rossi and Lorenzo early in the race, missing the braking point and going slightly off the track before being able to pick up the pace again.
Marquez took the lead with seven laps to go and held on to finish nearly one second ahead of Pedrosa.
"It was really tough," Marquez said. "If it wasn't at this track, in front of these fans, maybe I would have thrown in the towel. I wasn't comfortable out there. I was fighting against the bike and nearly crashed many times. I had to take some risks and I went for it. This victory means a lot."
It was the fifth win of the year for Marquez, who is 16 points in front of Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian could not manage more than a seventh-place finish at the MotorLand track in northeastern Spain. Marquez and Dovizioso were tied for the lead entering the weekend.
Vinales is third in the standings, 28 points behind Marquez and 26 points in front of fourth-place Pedrosa. Fifth-place Rossi is 56 points from the lead.
"The main opponents for the championship lost some points, so we opened a small advantage and it's very important to arrive in Japan with that very small advantage," Marquez said. The Japanese GP is on Oct. 15. Marquez reached his 60th career win, with 34 coming in the main MotoGP series.
The defending MotoGP champion hadn't won after starting outside of the first row since 2014.
It was the second podium of the season for Lorenzo with Ducati.
"We are progressing very quickly," Lorenzo said. "Especially my side, knowing more the bike, knowing the way to get the maximum, especially on the race."
It was the second time that the top 4 riders in a MotoGP race were Spaniards. It hadn't happened since the Japanese GP in 2013.
Seven of the top 10 finishers on Sunday were from Spain.
Italian Franco Morbidelli won the Moto2 race and Spaniard Joan Mir was first in Moto3.
Mir has won eight of the 14 races this season, a record for the series. He later was handed a six-place grid penalty for the next race for "irresponsible riding" after appearing to veer from side to side on the final lap.
Rossi 'very proud, happy' with heroic fifth
Valentino Rossi described his mood as “very proud” and “very happy” after a heroic outing on Sunday, which saw him challenge the lead before settling for a wellearned fifth place just 24 days after suffering a double fracture to his right leg.
Having remarkably started from the front row, Rossi started brilliantly, and was at the very front of the action for the race’s first half amid a tense battle with Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso.
Only around the half-way mark did his pace ever so slightly relent, and despite his best efforts, Rossi could not hold the advancing Maverick Viñales at bay. A combination of the expected fatigue and the Yamaha M1’s inability to successfully deal with rear tyre wear ultimately held him back.
Still, considering his condition just ten days ago, when he was unsure if he could even take part this weekend, this was yet another sensational showing from the Italian, and one which drew praise from each of his top rivals. “A great race,” he called it.
“I’m very proud and very happy because one week ago I didn’t know if I am able to race,” said Rossi on Sunday evening. “But we work well. We made the right choice. Perhaps risking a bit but I want to try not to lose another race because the more races you lose, the more time you need to come back to your level.
“It was a good weekend because I always feel quite good with the bike – not 100 percent for sure, with some pain but I can ride in a good way. Starting from the front row yesterday was already great. I was very happy. I know that today in the race it would be more difficult.
“But, anyway, it was a great race. I did a good start and in the first laps I was strong. I can fight for the victory with Lorenzo and Marquez. In the second half of the race I know that I have to suffer. I was more tired than normal and I feel some pain.
“Also we suffer a bit with the degradation of the rear tyre. Anyway it was a good fight and to arrive in the top five is sincerely a result that I don’t expect, I don’t think I am able to achieve. It was very good.”
Had he expected to be so competitive through the 23 laps? “In this occasion I think that you have to have the mind open because you don’t know what’ll happen,” Rossi explained. “Maybe I go on the bike and I’m not able to ride. But at the same time if you don’t feel too much pain you have to try to push at the maximum, no?
“Every day it’s coming better. From Friday to Saturday there was a good step. From yesterday to today, no. I feel a bit tired and I have some pain but it’s normal. Anyway I can ride at a good level, and I am happy because I did a good start and I ride well during the race.