Marquez powers on in San Marino
Spaniard holds his nerve to take victory
WORLD champion Marc Marquez, of Spain, won the San Marino MotoGP in slippery conditions yesterday 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.
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,” Marquez said after claiming his fourth win of the season.
“It’s a very important victory. We have to keep pushing, we have a good level,” the Spaniard said.
His next race is at home in Aragon on September 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.
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 Agerter (Suter) won the San Moto2 Grand Prix ahead of Kalex duo Thomas Luthi, of Switzerland, and Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin, to claim his second career win.
Italy’s Romano Fenati, of Honda, defied driving rain to claim his eighth career win in Moto3.
Fenati finished ahead of Spanish world champion leader Joan Mir and Italy’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, both also riding for Honda.
I tried to control my pace throughout the race, and in these conditions, I had to be patient