MotoGP™: Márquez (Repsol Honda Team/ Michelin) resumes winning ways at Aragon

The Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón was won for the third straight year by Marc Márquez. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team / Michelin) and Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar / Michelin) joined the Repsol Honda Team / Michelin star on the podium of Round 14 of the 2018 MotoGPTM World Championship. 

Márquez, who qualified third on the grid, made a last-minute swap from his original choice of hard-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear to the soft rear.

The first of the afternoon’s 23 laps saw him emerge in second spot behind Dovizioso (hard-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear) after the fall of pole-winner Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team / Michelin) through the opening turn.

The reigning champion then waited until Lap 14 before making an initial move on Dovizioso but the Italian recovered the lead two laps later.

With five laps remaining, Iannone – who had been battling for third with Team Suzuki Ecstar / Michelin team-mate Alex Rins – made contact with Márquez to join the challenge for the victory. Both Team Suzuki Ecstar riders had opted for hard and soft MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear.

After taking control again three laps from the flag, Márquez successfully kept his Italian chasers at bay to collect his sixth win of the season and his first since the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. He crossed the line six-tenths clear of Dovizioso, while Iannone made it three different bikemakers on the Aragon podium.

Rins ended up fourth, ahead of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), and a fine ride from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini / Michelin) bagged sixth place.

Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing / Michelin) was seventh and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / Michelin) fought back from 17th place at one stage to eighth at the flag. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing / Michelin) and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / Michelin) were the day’s other top-10 finishers.

The Spanish race saw the field opt for five of the six different tyre combinations available:

-        12 riders on hard/hard

-        3 riders on medium/soft

-        3 riders on medium/hard

-        1 rider on soft/soft

-        4 riders on hard/soft

Márquez (246 points) is now 72 and 87 points clear of Dovizioso and Rossi respectively at the top of the provisional Riders’ standings.

Next round: Thailand, Buriram (October 5-7).