With 17 laps to go, LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl was involved in a
tight battle with San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista, with the
German taking the Spaniard for sixth after dicing for numerous turns.
Meanwhile, Spies looked to have re-found his stride with the issue
sorted, and was fighting his way back through the pack after dropping
down to 13th. Three laps later, Bradl was dicing with Rossi for fifth
place, getting the better of the Italian after a few attempts. On the
same lap, Spies’ race came to an end after he crashed out of his charge.
Avintia Blusens’ Iván Silva suffered a technical issue with 12 laps
remaining, while Lorenzo and Pedrosa were neck and neck at the front of
the race, having pulled out a significant gap over Crutchlow. On the
same lap Bautista overtook Rossi, whose Desmosedici looked to be
slowing. A lap later Pedrosa sparked some life into the battle at the
front, as he got past Lorenzo on the inside, though the Mallorcan
continued to stick to his rear wheel.
On the last lap it was MotoGP racing at its best with Lorenzo forcing
his way past Pedrosa with a tough move, with the Repsol Honda rider
fighting back almost immediately, and the two almost neck-and-neck into
the final turn. With Pedrosa on the better line coming into the final
turn, he had the most drive to the line to take his third victory of the
season.
Pedrosa’s win has moved him to within 13
points of Lorenzo and blown the championship race wide open at the top.
Fourth spot went to Dovizioso, in front of Bradl, Bautista, Rossi and
Power Electronics Aspar’s Randy de Puniet who finished top CRT. Cardion
AB Racing’s local rider Karel Abraham and De Puniet’s teammate Aleix
Espargaró completed the top ten.
The track had dried out sufficiently to be
declared a dry race, with Interwetten-Paddock’s Lüthi making the best of
the conditions at the start taking the lead early on ahead of Pons 40
HP Tuenti’s Espargaró and Márquez. Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott
Redding’s race was unfortunately ended very early, as the Brit crashed
out after three turns.
It was Márquez who made his intentions known early on as he fought
past his compatriot into second. Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, not
wishing the leading trio to pull away, overtook Came IodaRacing
Project’s Simone Corsi with 17 laps to go, pushing past Espargaró
shortly after. The group at the front stayed tightly bunched for a
number of laps and it wasn’t until there were 13 laps remaining that
Iannone battled his way past Márquez into second.
This only lasted for a lap as the Spaniard fought straight back, as
Espargaró had a moment sticking with the group in fourth. With track
conditions still not ideal after the wet track before, riders were
tentative to make rash moves, leading to uncharacteristically cautions
racing. Eight laps before the end however Espargaró sized up Iannone and
took him on the inside, as further down the grid Tech 3 Racing’s Xavier
Siméon and Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Gino Rea both crashed out.
As Márquez looked for a way past Lüthi, Espargaró went past him into
second, although was taken straight back. He was subsequently ordered to
drop a place, after being sighted for passing under a yellow flag. He
did however not see the pit board instantly, yet Iannone helped him by
passing him with four laps remaining. This ignited an entertaining
battle between the pair, as Lüthi lost the lead to Márquez. The dice for
fifth place was also gaining momentum a few laps before the end with
JiR Moto2’s Johann Zarco and NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis
swapping positions frequently.
The final lap was a thrilling affair with Lüthi and Espargaró
desperate for the lead, with Iannone mixing it up as well. The Swiss
rider looked to be lining up a move in the final turn, yet did not have
enough drive on to the straight, meaning it was Márquez who took the
chequered flag, with Lüthi and Espargaró completing the rostrum. Márquez
now holds a 48-point lead at top of the championship standings in front
of Espargaró. Fourth spot went to Iannone, followed by Corsi, De
Angelis, Zarco, Tech 3’s Bradley Smith, Redding’s teammate Mika Kallio
and Pons’ Esteve Rabat.
Moto3: Folger charges to dominant Brno victory
In an enthralling Moto3™ race at the bwin Grand Prix České
republiky in Brno it was Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3’s Jonas Folger who held
his nerve in drying conditions to take victory in front of Luis Salom
and Sandro Cortese.
Despite no rain falling it was declared a wet
race from the start, with many of the riders opting for slick tyres as a
dry line was forming quickly. It was AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi
Khairuddin who got the holeshot, yet it was JHK T-Shirt Laglisse’s Efrén
Vázquez, on wet tyres, who soon took the lead on the still very damp
track. With 18 laps left he was however being chased down by Mapfre
Aspar Team Moto3’s Jonas Folger, who had made his way into second.
It was two laps later that Folger, on slicks, pushed past for the
lead, as the ever drying track was causing Vázquez problems. Behind the
two, Mahindra Racing’s local replacement rider Miroslav Popov,
Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil and Racing steps Foundation
KRP’s John McPhee were having a great race dicing for podium positions.
With 13 laps to go Kornfeil got past Vázquez into second, with Popov
making his way past the Spaniard a lap later.
Half way through the race, both Khairuddin and McPhee had gone past
Vázquez, as the pursuing group containing Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro
Cortese closed in on that fifth spot. In the meantime, MZ Racing’s Toni
Finsterbusch retired with a mechanical issue. With nine laps remaining
Khairuddin had moved into third, whilst Cortese and Estrella Galicia
0,0’s Alex Rins had moved up to challenge the Malaysian youngster.
Folger in the meantime had pulled out a 12 second lead, as Cortese had
slipped into third to chase down Kornfeil.
Caretta Technology’s Michael Ruben Rinaldi was forced to retire with
six laps remaining, whilst Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales had slowly
fought his way up into fourth place. It was heartache for Khairuddin as
he crashed out of the race with four laps left, as Popov fell coming
onto the straight. The final laps provided the typical battle between
Cortese and Viñales for the final podium spot, with Kornfeil struggling
to keep the pair off. Going into the final lap, RW racing GP’s Luis
Salom, who had been stalking behind, snuck behind Cortese, with Viñales
and Kornfeil behind.
In the end was Folger who crossed the finish line first to take his
second-ever GP win ahead of Salom, who had pushed passed Cortese in the
final turns. This now gives Cortese a 32-point lead at the top of the
championship standings ahead of Viñales, who came in fourth. Behind him
were Rins, Kornfeil, Cortese’s teammate Danny Kent, Team Italia FMI’s
Romano Fenati, Rins’ teammate Miguel Oliveira and Fenati’s teammate
Alessandro Tonucci.
