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BRNO, Czech Republic - Spanish Honda rider Marc Marquez captured the Czech MotoGP here on Sunday for his fourth consecutive win and extended his lead at the top of the championship standings.
Marquez won a thrilling race ahead of compatriots team mate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha rival and defending World champion Jorge Lorenzo as the Spanish trio dominated proceedings.
Marquez finished the 119km, 22-lap race in 42min50.729sec, 0.313sec ahead of Pedrosa and 2.277sec ahead of Lorenzo. The 20-year-old leads the championships on 213 points after 11 of 18 races, ahead of Pedrosa on 187 and Lorenzo on 169.
FIFTH VICTORY
"I enjoyed the victory but also the battle with Jorge, and also Dani was there," said Marquez. "I'm very, very happy. Jorge and Yamaha were so strong here (and) Dani won last year. I didn't expect a victory, I expected to finish on the podium.”
Marquez, in his first MotoGP season, has scored his fifth victory and the fourth in a row, beating a 35-year-old record held by American Kenny Roberts who won three straight premier-class races as a rookie in 1978.
In that same year Roberts also won the championship - a feat unrivalled by a rookie to the present day.
Starting fifth, Lorenzo pushed into the lead before the first turn and widened the gap on the Honda duo to 1.4sec by the end of lap two. Marquez and Pedrosa then worked patiently to narrow his lead.
Marquez then struck three times in lap 16 and got ahead of Lorenzo, who however took the lead back two laps later, but Marquez fought back immediately and then widened the lead on Lorenzo who also gave up to constant pressure from Pedrosa two laps before the end.
The gap between reigning World champion Lorenzo and fourth-placed Valentino Rossi reached almost eight seconds.
'BRAKING NOT STRONG'
Pedrosa and Lorenzo, each recovering from a fractured collarbone, did not conceal their disappointment. Pedrosa said: "I was trying to follow the train. I just wasn't able to do the overtaking - I wasn't that strong in braking today and I was losing touch in the corner exits.
He won at Brno in 2012.
"I wasn't able to get close or make a pass. I think my attack was a little, one lap maybe, too late and I missed one lap in the end," he added.
Lorenzo admitted he was "a little disappointed" after the nerve-racking battle with the Honda duo. "I started very well, the first lap was very fast but I couldn't do so much to defend the position from Honda.”
Weather was a cause for concern all day as heavy clouds gathered over the Brno circuit, forcing the teams to have bikes with wet tyres ready - but it all ended with just a few drops.
MOTOGP 2 /3
Britain's Cal Crutchlow, the pole-starter, crashed in lap eight. He rejoined the race but earned no points as he only managed 17th.
In the Moto2 race earlier on Sunday, Finland's Mika Kallio won ahead of Japan's Takaaki Nakagami and Switzerland's Thomas Luthi.
And Luis Salom of Spain widened his overall Moto3 lead after winning a last-lap thriller from compatriot Maverick Vinales and Germany’s Jonas Folger.
Results from the 2013 Czech MotoGP
MotoGP
1 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 42min 50.729
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +0.313
3 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) +2.277
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) +0.101
5 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) +10.178
6 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) +19.807
7 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) +35.015
8 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +35.354
9 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati) +51.149
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/ART) +56.392
MotoGP points standings
1Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 213
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 187
3 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 169
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 143
5 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 127
6 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) 103
7 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 96
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) 92
9 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 80
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/ATR) 62
Moto2
1 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 41min11.785
2 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 0+.590
3 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) +0.799
4 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) +0.965
5 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) +1.100
6 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) +1.539
7 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) +2.496
8 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) +4.490
Moto2 points
1 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) 167
2 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) 146
3 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) 122
4 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 115
5 Dominique Aergerter (SUI/Suter) 97
6 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) 86
7 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 85
8 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) 72
Moto3
1 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 40min58.770
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) +0.507
3 Jonas Folger (GER/KTM) +1.015
4 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) +1.081
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) +1.240
6 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) +4.787
7 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) +17.638
8 Jakub Kornfeil (CZE/Kalex KTM) +21.380
Moto3 points
1 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 208
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) 194
3 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 180
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Kalex KTM) 110
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) 101
6 Miguel Oliveira (POR/Mahindra) 84
7 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) 56
8 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) 56
Marquez won a thrilling race ahead of compatriots team mate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha rival and defending World champion Jorge Lorenzo as the Spanish trio dominated proceedings.
Marquez finished the 119km, 22-lap race in 42min50.729sec, 0.313sec ahead of Pedrosa and 2.277sec ahead of Lorenzo. The 20-year-old leads the championships on 213 points after 11 of 18 races, ahead of Pedrosa on 187 and Lorenzo on 169.
FIFTH VICTORY
"I enjoyed the victory but also the battle with Jorge, and also Dani was there," said Marquez. "I'm very, very happy. Jorge and Yamaha were so strong here (and) Dani won last year. I didn't expect a victory, I expected to finish on the podium.”
Marquez, in his first MotoGP season, has scored his fifth victory and the fourth in a row, beating a 35-year-old record held by American Kenny Roberts who won three straight premier-class races as a rookie in 1978.
In that same year Roberts also won the championship - a feat unrivalled by a rookie to the present day.
Starting fifth, Lorenzo pushed into the lead before the first turn and widened the gap on the Honda duo to 1.4sec by the end of lap two. Marquez and Pedrosa then worked patiently to narrow his lead.
Marquez then struck three times in lap 16 and got ahead of Lorenzo, who however took the lead back two laps later, but Marquez fought back immediately and then widened the lead on Lorenzo who also gave up to constant pressure from Pedrosa two laps before the end.
The gap between reigning World champion Lorenzo and fourth-placed Valentino Rossi reached almost eight seconds.
'BRAKING NOT STRONG'
Pedrosa and Lorenzo, each recovering from a fractured collarbone, did not conceal their disappointment. Pedrosa said: "I was trying to follow the train. I just wasn't able to do the overtaking - I wasn't that strong in braking today and I was losing touch in the corner exits.
He won at Brno in 2012.
"I wasn't able to get close or make a pass. I think my attack was a little, one lap maybe, too late and I missed one lap in the end," he added.
Lorenzo admitted he was "a little disappointed" after the nerve-racking battle with the Honda duo. "I started very well, the first lap was very fast but I couldn't do so much to defend the position from Honda.”
Weather was a cause for concern all day as heavy clouds gathered over the Brno circuit, forcing the teams to have bikes with wet tyres ready - but it all ended with just a few drops.
MOTOGP 2 /3
Britain's Cal Crutchlow, the pole-starter, crashed in lap eight. He rejoined the race but earned no points as he only managed 17th.
In the Moto2 race earlier on Sunday, Finland's Mika Kallio won ahead of Japan's Takaaki Nakagami and Switzerland's Thomas Luthi.
And Luis Salom of Spain widened his overall Moto3 lead after winning a last-lap thriller from compatriot Maverick Vinales and Germany’s Jonas Folger.
Results from the 2013 Czech MotoGP
MotoGP
1 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 42min 50.729
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +0.313
3 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) +2.277
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) +0.101
5 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) +10.178
6 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) +19.807
7 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) +35.015
8 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +35.354
9 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati) +51.149
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/ART) +56.392
MotoGP points standings
1Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 213
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 187
3 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 169
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 143
5 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 127
6 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) 103
7 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 96
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) 92
9 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 80
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/ATR) 62
Moto2
1 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 41min11.785
2 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 0+.590
3 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) +0.799
4 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) +0.965
5 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) +1.100
6 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) +1.539
7 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) +2.496
8 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) +4.490
Moto2 points
1 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) 167
2 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) 146
3 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) 122
4 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 115
5 Dominique Aergerter (SUI/Suter) 97
6 Johann Zarco (FRA/Suter) 86
7 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 85
8 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) 72
Moto3
1 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 40min58.770
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) +0.507
3 Jonas Folger (GER/KTM) +1.015
4 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) +1.081
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) +1.240
6 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) +4.787
7 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) +17.638
8 Jakub Kornfeil (CZE/Kalex KTM) +21.380
Moto3 points
1 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 208
2 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) 194
3 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 180
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Kalex KTM) 110
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) 101
6 Miguel Oliveira (POR/Mahindra) 84
7 Jack Miller (AUS/FTR Honda) 56
8 Alexis Masbou (FRA/FTR Honda) 56
