Brno: Pedrosa ends Marquez hot streak

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa has won for the first time since Malaysia last year as he ended the winning streak of Marc Marquez at Brno on August 17, with Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi second and third, while Marc Marquez came home just off the podium.

From fifth on the grid, Pedrosa returned to his best form to blast through the pack and eventually take victory by 0.410 seconds from Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) in front of more than 138,000 fans.

FULL RESULTS AND STANDINGS

“I didn’t plan the race in the way it went. Jorge was very strong in the first laps so I had to change my plan and push to catch him,” said Pedrosa. “I was able to have a good rhythm and manage the gap. We had some problem with grip and corner exit after the first laps. I am very happy to have won this race! This year it has been a tough road to victory, but today everybody in the team is very happy.

“Seeing their smiling faces makes me happy as well, because you always try to get the best results but don't always manage to do so. This year we have an amazing rival in Marc, who has had great performances at every round so far. Maybe today wasn't his best day, but I think that we also worked very well this weekend; bringing home the win for the team feels fantastic.”

For Lorenzo it was his third successive podium result and he also produced a great ride, having started in sixth on the grid.

Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) got his seventh rostrum result of 2014 in his 245th premier class race as he equalled the all-time appearance record in the top class, pulling level with Alex Barros on that front.

With Marquez finishing fourth it is the first time this year that he did not win the race and this is the first time he has finished a MotoGP race off the podium. Marquez is still in a commanding position in the standings with a 77-point lead.

Marquez lost out in a mid-race battle for third with Rossi, having earlier had a close fight with Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) in the opening laps – with the two former Moto2 rivals clashing on two occasions.

Iannone would later get the better of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) for fifth in the final stages.

The top 10 was completed by Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini).

Home rider Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) scored points in 14th, with substitute rider Leon Camier (Drive M7 Aspar) scoring his first ever MotoGP point in 15th.

A crash and subsequent retirement saw Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) end his race early. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Michael Laverty (Paul Bird Motorsport) both crashed out, while Danilo Petrucci (IodaRacing Project) and Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) both retired with technical issues. Australia’s Broc Parkes (Paul Bird Motorsport) was the last rider home in 19th position.

Moto2
World championship leader Tito Rabat scored a dominant win, with Mika Kallio and Sandro Cortese joining him on the podium.

Starting on pole for the seventh time in 2014 Rabat stormed away from the line, leading from start to finish and opening up a clear gap at the front. The Spaniard crossed the line three seconds ahead of Marc VDS Racing Team colleague Kallio to increase his championship lead to 12 points.

A first Moto2 podium for Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) was secured by a two-second gap from Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2). Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) crossed the line just behind Luthi in fifth, with Maverick Viñales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) nearby in sixth.

The top 10 was completed by Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team), Franco Morbidelli (Italtrans Racing Team), Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing) and Marcel Schrotter (Tech 3). Australia’s Anthony West (QMMF Racing) was 22nd.

Moto3
Another superb race saw Alexis Masbou secure victory after a long battle featuring a huge leading group, with Enea Bastianini and Danny Kent joining him on the podium.

The win for experienced Frenchman Masbou makes him the rider to have competed in most Grands Prix before tasting victory.

Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) just missed the podium in fourth having led on several laps, whilst his teammate Alex Rins finished ninth, having remarkably celebrated a lap early, thinking he had won the race.

A fifth placed finish for Aussie Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was enough to increase his championship advantage to 23 points.

Miller did admit he had made a small mistake in the final fight for the podium places.

"On the last chicane I had a good position, but I made a small mistake on the corner leading onto the straight and lost four places. The race could have gone better, but we should be happy because we have extended the lead in the Moto3 World Championship standings by two points.”

The top 10 was completed by Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing), Efren Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG), Rins and Isaac Viñales (Calvo Team).

South Aussie Arthur Sissis (Mahindra Racing) was 26th.