Marquez on top again

Spain’s Marc Marquez won his fifth consecutive MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday and the series got a new season leader in Italy’s Valentino Rossi. Marquez earned his 30th career MotoGP victory and his ninth in a row on American soil dating back to 2013. The victory also gets the Repsol Honda rider back into the season title chase.

Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, who won the first two races of the year, crashed early and didn’t finish. With Vinales out, teammate Rossi took over the top spot with a second-place finish that made him the points leader. Marquez started from pole position. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa grabbed the early lead through the first turn at the start and held it until Marquez passed him with 13 laps to go in the 21lap race.