Catalan Grand Prix Barcelona MotoGP Race: Lorenzo knocks out Marquez, Dovizioso down and Rossi third

It is under the sign of Jorge Lorenzo what is this Grand Prix of Catalonia, seventh meeting of the MotoGP season. The Majorcan, who is coming off a victory at Mugello, marked the Montmelo route with a hot iron. After having achieved success for the first time on a Ducati, here he is in pole position with the same bike, a performance that he had never achieved before. His last result of this type dates back to Valencia 2016. The Majorcan was then working for Yamaha. He thus became the first rider to have dominated qualifying both under the colors of Yamaha and Ducati in the premier category…

Por Fuera is therefore considering the double after its Italian success. The last one to have won in Catalonia after starting from the top of the starting grid is himself, in 2010. But in view of the table which summarizes the situation, we see that adversity will be there …

 

Barcelona MotoGP	2016	2017	2018
FP1	1'42.065 Vinales	1'45.875 Marquez	1'39.456 Rossi
FP2	1'41.712 Lorenzo	1'44.478 Marquez	1'38.930 Lorenzo
FP3	1'44.727 Vinales	1'44.178 Marquez	1'38.923 Dovizioso
FP4	1'45.194 Marquez	1'45.486 Pedrosa	1'39.708 Iannone
Qualification 1	1'44.494 Barbera	1'44.239 Folger	1'39.217 Marquez
Qualification 2	1'43.589 Marquez	1'43.870 Pedrosa	1'38.680 Lorenzo
Warm Up	1'45.318 Rossi	1'45.004 Folger	1'39.571 Dovizioso
Course	Rossi, Marquez, Pedrosa	Dovizioso, Marquez, Pedrosa
All time lap record	1'40.546 A. Espargaro 2015	1'43.589 Marquez 2016	1'38.974 Vinales (Test)

The Ducatis showed their strength and Andrea Dovizioso will not let himself be counted out against this awakened teammate. Marc Marquez inserted himself between the Italian machines with the intention of fighting in the style we know him and on the handlebars of a Honda which does not assert itself as the lethal weapon. But we can count on the six-time winner and leader of the championship to put on a show. The proof…

 

The Yamahas and Suzukis of Iannone will be in ambush while Espargaro Pol will celebrate its 200th Grand Prix start. The KTM official is the second youngest rider in history to reach this milestone, at 27 years and seven days. Alone Sandra Cortese did better at 26 years and 284 days.

As always, the big question concerns the tires. But perhaps more here than elsewhere. Valentino Rossi opened the debate by questioning the allocation Michelin , which prompted the manufacturer to respond. Everyone is watching with interest the temperatures that will ensure that the rubber works well for 24 laps… Or not!

Precisely, the mercury is at 47° on the track while the public enjoys an atmosphere at 27°. It will be recalled thatAlex Espargaro fell three places on the starting grid following his carelessness during warm-up. And 15 years ago, Loris Capirossi put, on this same track, for the first time, a Ducati on top of a MotoGP podium.

We learn on the grid that Johann zarco will bet on soft mediums. Marquez is all hard. The Ducati are in soft, the Yamaha also like Iannone. The wild beasts released are Marquez who takes the lead at the first turn in front Iannone, Lorenzo et Dovi.  Vinales is tenth, zarco twelfth. Iannone attack in vain Brandz and it is Lorenzo who took the opportunity to take the lead at the start of the second round. Rock fall at turn 14.

Lorenzo, Marquez, Dovi, the first starting line is reconstituted at the head. Rossi is fourth ahead of Pedrosa in the top 5 while Iannone regresses since he is seventh behind petrux. Guintoli falls at turn 7.

Vinales et zarco reenter the top 10, but are not in the party after three rounds. Lüthi fall at turn 3. Ahead, Lorenzo takes out the hammer, but Marquez does not want to make the point while Dovizioso refuses to play the anvil. Red struggles to stay in contact at nine-tenths. Alex Espargaro fall at turn 11.

Por Fuera pounds away and there he is with almost half a second ahead after five laps. He drives two tenths faster than his direct pursuers. Who are his future teammate and his current stablemate! Marquez hangs on by making four tenths but Dovi is already more than seven tenths away. Red passed the second delay.

Petrucci is fifth and offered himself the scalp of Pedrosa. Simeon fall at turn 1. With 16 laps to go, Marquez do not let go Lorenzo. But Dovizioso fall at turn 5. It's a turning point in the championship but also for Ducati... Two errors in three races... Third retirement in four events... The awakening of Lorenzo definitely hurt him...

Especially since the Majorcan raises his voice by taking the best lap in the race and pushing back the Honda official by half a second. Red is provisionally on the last step of the podium and at this stage think of the 27 points behind Marquez in the championship... Fifth place is at Crutchlow since Petrucci veered offshore, but returned to the runway. Pedrosa is fourth.

As the final ten rounds loom, Lorenzo drives the nail in and pushes back Marquez beyond the second. Mass seems to be said… Kidneys abandoned. zarco is seventh and fighting against Vinales. Miller et Rabat close the top 10 and Syahrin is eleventh and first of the rookies… In front of a Iannone in distress!

Nakagami et Smith hang on at turn 5.

The attraction of this end of the race concerns the duel between Pedrosa et Crutchlow for fourth place. Behind, zarco et Vinales fight for the sixth. The engine of the motorcycle Rabat catches fire and forces its pilot to quickly get off his machine. All this before your eyes Syharin, happy ninth!

The last five laps confirm the walk of Lorenzo before Marquez et Red. Crutchlow became master of Pedrosa et Morbidely takes his fourth fall of the weekend at turn 2. Syahrin falls at turn 4 and remains inside the trajectory... There are thirteen drivers left in the race, and without a single rookie!

Vinales is now sixth ahead zarco and rides at a better pace than everyone else. Once again too late!

Et Lorenzo takes his double after starting from pole position… Marquez takes 20 points, Red a podium and Crutchlow leads the rest of the peloton. zarco seventh. Morbidely upon joining the race is classified fourteenth after three laps but takes two points!

Catalan Grand Prix Barcelona MotoGP Race: Standings

1	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Ducati	40'13.566
2	93	Marc Márquez	Honda	+4.479
3	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	+6.098
4	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	+9.805
5	26	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	+10.640
6	25	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	+10.798
7	5	johann zarco	Yamaha	+13.432
8	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	+15.055
9	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Ducati	+22.057
10	29	Andrea Iannone	Suzuki	+24.141
11	44	Pol Espargaró	KTM	+36.560
12	45	Scott REDDING	Aprilia	+38.229
13	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	+ 1'21.526
14	21	Frank MORBIDELLI	Honda	3 Tours
		Unclassified
	55	Hafiz Syahrin	Yamaha	4 Tours
	53	Tito RABAT	Ducati	6 Tours
	43	Jack Miller	Ducati	7 Tours
	38	Bradley SMITH	KTM	11 Tours
	30	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	11 Tours
	42	Alex Rins	Suzuki	13 Tours
	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	16 Tours
	10	Xavier SIMEON	Ducati	17 Tours
	41	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	20 Tours
	12	Thomas LUTHI	Honda	21 Tours
	50	Sylvain GUINTOLI	Suzuki	22 Tours
		Did not finish the first round
	36	Mika Kallio	KTM	0 Tour

 

 

 

 

 

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