German MotoGP: Marquez scorches to win

Marc Marquez has scorched to victory in Germany, taking the win easily despite a late challenge from Cal Crutchlow.

Valentino Rossi led off the line, although Stefan Bradl was able to squeeze past on the second lap and hold an early lead, before Marquez also made it past. They then made a small break after a mistake from Rossi dropped him back.

However, as Marquez and Bradl battled for the lead, Rossi was able to put in a fast lap and get back on the leaders, pulling Cal Crutchlow forwards with him.

Rossi was able to soon make his way past Bradl, then being able to punch out fast laps in an attempt to close down the escaping Spaniard.

However, Marquez was quickly able to consolidate his lead at the front, and Rossi, unable to respond, appeared to be holding up a visibly faster Crutchlow.

At half distance, Cal was able to produce a textbook pass to get away from Rossi, and was able to start pulling in the gap to the Repsol Honda.

However, it was too little too late, as he wasn’t quite able to pull in the lap to more than 1.5 seconds at the flag.

Bradl was fourth, ahead of Bautista’s Honda and Bradley Smith, equalling his best ever GP finish.

Dovizioso was the first of the Ducatis in seventh, after a long battle with CRT Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro, who ran as high as third in the opening laps of the race. The Ducati pair of Hayden and Pirro rounded out the top ten.

Michael Laverty rode his PBM CRT machine to 16th.

The absence of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa has opened the world championship right up, giving Marquez a two point lead over teammate Pedrosa.

Crutchlow said afterwards “The first five laps Valentino and me had no grip – I don’t know how we didn’t crash! I was almost happy to be down in seventh at the start as it made me do some work, but it let Marc get away. I’m sure the result would have been exactly the same if Dani and Jorge had been here, our pace was that high.”

Marquez said “Normally I try to follow the fast rider, but today I push and push myself at the front. I’m happy to make that step myself. In Texas I was a little happier to win, because today we have no Dani or Jorge, but the 25 points are important.”

1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 41’14.653
2 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +1.559
3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha +9.620
4 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda +13.992
5 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda +21.775
6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha +25.080
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati +30.027
8 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART +30.324
9 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati +45.355
10 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati +47.142
11 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR +47.824
12 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART +48.523
13 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki +54.428
14 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter +1’00.323
15 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki +1’05.530
16 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM +1’09.153
17 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR +1’15.601
18 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing ART +1’19.683
19 52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 153.4 1 Lap
DNF 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 3 Laps
DNF 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 29 Laps