Lorenzo’s leap

Spanish rider wins in Brno to tie teammate Rossi at the top

BRNO: Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo won the Czech Republic MotoGP race in Brno yesterday to level Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi at the top of the overall championship standings after 11 out of 18 races.

Fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez, the reigning champion and winner of the previous two races, finished second ahead of Rossi.

Lorenzo clocked 42 minutes and 53.042 seconds on the 22 laps of the 5.4-kilometre (3.36-mile) circuit, finishing 4.462 seconds ahead of Marquez and 10.397 seconds clear of Rossi.

Both Lorenzo and Rossi have 211 points at the top of the overall standings but Lorenzo has won five races this season against three wins for Rossi.

Marquez in third has 159 points following a lacklustre start into the season.

The first non-Honda rider to win at Brno since his own victory here in 2010, Lorenzo already dominated the free practices in the southern Czech city before smashing the circuit record in qualifying on Saturday.

On a hot, dry afternoon, the 28-yearold Spaniard led all the way from the pole position start with Marquez nested right behind him.

But unlike at Indianapolis last weekend, Marquez never got a chance to get past Lorenzo who started to broaden the gap on lap eight.

Rossi, who has made it on to the podium in all races so far this season, got off to a poor start, losing two positions from the third spot on the grid as Lorenzo and Marquez sped ahead.

Andrea Iannone on a Ducati finished fourth ahead of 2014 Brno winner Dani Pedrosa on a Honda and fellow Italian and Ducati teammate Andrea Dovizioso.