Marquez closes in on title with victory at Aragon GP
ALCANIZ: Marc Marquez cruised to victory in the Aragon Grand Prix with a dominant display yesterday that moves him to within one race of sealing his sixth MotoGP title.
The 26-year-old’s eighth triumph of the season is his fourth in a row at the Aragon Motorland, situated 160km from his home town of Cervera, and means he now sits 98 points clear in the world championship standings with five races left.
Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso, who crossed the line in second after starting the race 10th on the grid, remains Marquez’s closest challenger in the standings — although the Honda rider can now seal the title in Thailand on Oct 6.
Marquez’s victory in Spain also ends any lingering hopes Danilo Petrucci, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi still had of lifting the trophy.
One of Dovizioso and Petrucci, both of Ducati, needed to win to turn the tide but the team’s last victory in Aragon came in 2010, while Marquez has made this 5.077km-circuit something of a home venue in recent years.
He finished the race in 41min.57.221sec, a considerable 4.836sec ahead of Dovizioso and 5.430sec in front of Australian Jack Miller, who snatched third and a spot on the podium.
RESULTS
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 41min 57.221sec, 2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) at 4.836sec, 3. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati-Pramac) 5.430, 4. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha)5.811, 5. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/ Yamaha-SRT) 8.924
STANDINGS
1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 300pts, 2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 202, 3. Alex Rins (ESP/ Suzuki)156, 4. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 155, 5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 147