MotoGP™: Márquez claims unchallenged win at Aragon

The 2019 Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon – Round 14 of the 2019 MotoGPTM World Championship – was won by Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) by a margin of almost five seconds over Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was third. Márquez could settle this year’s title chase in Thailand in two weeks’ time. 

Márquez hit the ground running at the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon to top the order in Free Practice 1, a full 1.6 seconds quicker than the rest of the field. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) were fastest in sessions two and three but couldn’t prevent the Honda rider from claiming his seventh qualifying victory of the season.

Racing on medium- and soft-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear, Márquez got away cleanly at lights-out and immediately set a blistering pace, positing his fastest race lap on the second of the afternoon’s 23 laps. By the midway point, he was more than five seconds clear and a fast, consistent second half helped him to celebrate his 200th grand prix start with his eighth victory of the campaign.

Competing on the same tyre combination as the day’s winner, Dovizioso had qualified 10th on the grid but a gutsy display saw him slice his way up the order in the race. By half-distance, he was up to fourth, and he went on to pick off Miller and Viñales on Laps 15 and 21 to take the flag in second spot, practically five seconds back.

Miller robbed Viñales of third place on the last lap, while Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was fifth.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Rins and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) rounded out the top 10.

Four of the six tyre options provided by Michelin were used in Spain. All the riders with the exception of Mika Kallio (hard) went for the medium front MICHELIN Power Slick which they combined with either a soft or hard rear.

The MICHELIN Power Rain made two appearances, for Saturday morning’s Free Practice 3 and Sunday’s warm-up run.

The podium ceremonies in every class saw Michelin present personalised 3D-printed titanium trophies. These prizes were designed especially for the Aragon grand prix and were made by Poly-Shape which is already active in motorsport. Poly-Shape is a subsidiary of the French group AddUp, a leader in the world of 3D metal additive manufacturing and co-owned by Michelin.

Today’s result has taken Márquez 98 points clear of Dovizioso at the top of the provisional Riders’ standings. The Spaniard will make sure of the 2019 title if he succeeds in earning two more points than his rival in Thailand. Rins (+144 points) is third.

Next race: PTT Thailand Grand Prix, Buriram (October 4-6).