Marquez reckons he has inside lane

– Daredevil two-time world champion and current runaway points leader Marc Marquez feels the Silverstone chicanes and curves can help him distance his championship rivals at the British MotoGP on Sunday.

What is more, Marquez, on 197 points going into the 12th of 18 races, copes better in the rain than second-placed Italian Valentino Rossi on 144 or misfiring champion Jorge Lorenzo on 138.

“I love this circuit, the first section is slowish but then a series of chicanes can allow a fast man to make the difference,” said the 23-year-old, who won here in 2014 on the way to his second straight world title.

The Honda man’s big points lead is down to his consistency and a more moderate racing style than in his barnstorming past.

Defending champion and fellow Spaniard Lorenzo is giving up nothing however, despite gaining zero points at Catalunya, Brno and Argentina.

“We need to think race by race and just try to get the best results day by day,” the 2015 champion and Yamaha rider, a threetime winner here, insisted.

His stablemate Rossi has had nightmares in the rain three times at the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow can expect a hero’s welcome at Silverstone.

He is the first Briton to win a GP since Barry Sheene in 1981, and he did it by capitalising on his choice of hard-option front and rear tyres, fighting up from 10th on the grid for his maiden win.

“I took the gamble, nobody else did,” said Crutchlow.

In Moto3, South Africa’s Brad Binder is still riding his early-season form with a lead of 61 points over Spain’s Jorge Navarro. –

Silverstone