MotoGP™: Márquez clinches laurels on Rossi’s turf

After being pipped to the post in the closing moments two races in a row, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) turned the tables in Italy by squeezing past rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) on the last lap of Sunday’s GP Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, Round 13 of the 2019 MotoGPTM World Championship. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was third. Both MotoE races were won by Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) who has emerged at the top of the provisional FIM Enel MotoE World Cup order. 

Quartararo got away well from third on the grid before passing pole-winner Maverick Viñales on the third of the afternoon’s 27 laps. He was imitated by Márquez next time around and the two riders soon started to pull out a gap.

The defending champion was happy to sit on the Frenchman’s tail until the ultimate lap but an initial attempt to take control was immediately countered. The Spaniard’s second try proved successful, however, and he went on to collect his seventh win of the campaign, while Quartararo pocketed his fourth podium finish of the season.

Viñales was a solitary third over the line, 1.6 seconds adrift.

Local hero Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) fought back from seventh in qualifying to fourth at the flag, but was never in contention for a podium placing.

Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) bagged fifth to make it four Yamahas in the top five.

Last year’s victor Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) ended up sixth, ahead of Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who had secured KTM’s best MotoGPTM grid position to date the previous day thanks to the second-best time in qualifying.

Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) rounded out the top 10.

As the air and track temperatures soared respectively to 26°C and 39°C degrees in the summery weather, the majority of the field opted for medium-compound MICHELIN Power Slicks front and rear. The three exceptions were Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Johann Zarco (soft front and medium rear), Repsol Honda Team’s Jorge Lorenzo (softs front and rear) and Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Miguel Oliveira (medium front, soft rear).

The result has taken Márquez’s score in the provisional championship table to 275 points, 93 units clear of second-placed Dovizioso. Petrucci (151) is third.

Next round: Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon, Spain (September 20-22)