Marc Marquez won consecutive races for the first time in three years with an opportunistic victory in a dramatic San Marino Grand Prix, the six-time MotoGP world champion taking advantage of inclement weather and a disastrous error of judgement by series leader Jorge Martin to storm to his 61st Grand Prix victory.
Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
From ninth on the grid after crashing in qualifying, the Gresini Ducati rider surged forward as light rain hit the Misano circuit seven laps into the 27-lap race as world championship protagonists Francesco Bagnaia and Martin battled for the lead.
Martin, who came into the race with a 26-point championship lead after winning Saturday’s sprint race, elected to pit on lap seven for wet-weather tyres as the majority of the front-runners stayed on track to brave the conditions.
Martin’s gamble backfired spectacularly when the rain stopped almost immediately, the Spaniard returning to the pits for his dry-weather bike two laps later and finishing a distant 15th, one lap down.
MORE MOTOGP NEWS
MARTIN’S MOMENT Spaniard denies “absolutely not happy” champ in Misano sprint
NAMES TO KNOW Six young guns with MotoGP in their sights, and an Aussie succession plan
With the track becoming more slippery, Marquez muscled past Bagnaia for the lead on lap eight and was never headed from there, the 31-year-old winning by 3.102secs over Bagnaia, who slashed Martin’s championship lead to seven points after the Spaniard stretched his margin by winning Saturday’s sprint race held in dry conditions.
“For me the most important was the speed after that rain,” Marquez said, who admitted he had nothing to lose when the track became damp.
“Of course that rain gave me the possibility to lead the race, and then when I lead the race I say ‘OK, I will try to find the same pace as the practice’. The emotions were super high when we crossed the line.”
Bagnaia’s factory Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini came through from eighth on the grid to third after Martin’s Pramac Racing teammate Franco Morbidelli, who had qualified a season-best second, crashed out of podium contention as the rain first hit the circuit on lap seven.
Australia’s Jack Miller, along with Marquez, stormed towards the front from 12th on the grid as the rain fell, the KTM rider advancing as far as third on lap eight before dropping to eighth at the chequered flag, 19.327secs behind Marquez for his second-best Grand Prix result of the season after finishing fifth in Portugal in round two.
Martin (312 points) leads Bagnaia (305) atop the standings after 13 events of the 20-round calendar, with Marquez’s back-to-back victories bringing him to within 53 points of the series lead ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the same Misano circuit on September 22.
Discussion about this post