Lorenzo keeps title alive

MotoGP: Lorenzo shows what World Champions are made of
Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo showed scant respect in Honda’s backyard as one of his finest rides ensure the 2013 title now goes down to the final round in Valencia. A pole-to-chequered flag performance left Honda duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa powerless to match their steely Spanish compatriot. Marquez now leads by just 13 points, so a top four finish will suffice in Valencia even if Lorenzo should win that race.

But Lorenzo’s seventh win of 2013 and 51st of his career gave further proof that he is made of champion stuff. On a weekend abridged by atrocious weather, Lorenzo claimed pole, still felt he could be more in harmony with the big Yamaha and chose the softer of Bridgestone’s tyre options. It worked to perfection: Lorenzo leapt off the line into the lead and even though Marquez closed dramatically in mid-race, Lorenzo found new pace to win by a comfortable three-second margin.

“This track is normally better for them,” said an elated Lorenzo, “so winning their home race – the 200th premier-class win for Yamaha – is a real pleasure.”

It was a typical Marquez day. Desperate to recover from the mid-race debacle at Phillip Island, the 20-year-old Spaniard came off hard in morning practice, bouncing across the Motegi gravel, and was in the medical centre having treatment for neck and back pain when his brother Alex scored his maiden Moto3 win. In the race he then out-braked himself on a couple of occasions as his pursuit of Lorenzo heated up.

“At the beginning of the race I struggled a little bit,” he admitted. “It was difficult for us after the big crash in the warm-up, and it’s my first time here on the MotoGP bike – I struggled with the braking-points. In the middle of the race it looked as if we were stronger but Jorge had a bit more and I feared we were too much on the limit.”

Behind them Pedrosa never looked like making it three straight Motegi MotoGP wins, dropping off the pace in the second half of the race. His slim chance of a first MotoGP world title has now evaporated.

“Today was not the best race for me,” he said. “I struggled a bit to keep up with these two on the exit of the corners and I couldn’t perform as I expected.”

Valentino Rossi’s early pace suggested he could help Lorenzo as the Italian raced into second place on the opening lap but two successive mistakes at the 90-degree turn at the end of the downhill back straight relegated him to 10th. He performed superbly to come through to sixth place behind Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl, the LCR Honda rider producing a minor miracle with a top five result two weeks after the broken ankle that kept him out of the Phillip Island race.

Cal Crutchlow won the all-British intra-team battle for seventh place on the Tech 3 Yamahas, with Nicky Hayden unable to capitalise on a rare front-row start, dropping to 10th on the opening lap but coming back to beat fellow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso into ninth place by the end.

Top CRT rider was Colin Edwards on the Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki: like Marquez, CRT champion Aleix Espargaro was unable to repeat his brother Pol’s performance on the day and leapt off his Aspar ART when its throttle jammed opened midway through the race. Aussies Damian Cudlin and Bryan Staring were 21st and 22nd, with Cudlin called before the stewards for ignoring blue flags as Lorenzo caught and passed him near the end.

Moto2: Espargaro takes title as Redding misery continues
We have our first World Champion of 2013 and his name is Pol Espargaro. The Tuenti HP40 Kalex rider did it in style, winning a race shortened to 15 laps after a first lap pile-up that cost Englishman Scott Redding his last slim hopes of title glory. Redding ran into Tito Rabat as Alex Marinelerena went down on the outside of both. All three riders were cleared after visits to the medical centre.

As Redding‘s brave bid to return from his Phillip Island wrist break ended, Espargaro took command on the opening lap of the restarted race and claimed a second straight win – his sixth of 2014 – to take an unbridgeable 41-point lead with just his final home race in Valencia left. Redding’s teammate Mika Kallio, starting from his first Moto2 pole position, finished second ahead of Tom Luthi on the Interwetten Suter.

“It was a difficult championship for us,” admitted Espargaro, “but when you have good people around you, you can fight for everything.”
Australia’s Ant West brought the QMMF Speed Up through from 17th on the grid to 11th at the finish.

Moto3: No points, still in the lead
Luis Salom should enter every lottery he can find after riding his luck – if not his Red Bull KTM Ajo motorcycle – to leave Motegi two points in the lead as they head for the final round in Valencia.

Salom was the innocent victim when Isaac Vinales, cousin of title contender Maverick, took him out on the ninth of 20 laps. It wasn’t hurt but heartbreak that kept the 22-year-old Spaniard on his knees as he saw his title hopes disappearing.

But with just four laps to go the other man in the three-way fight for the crown, Alex Rins, crashed out of third place all on his own as he hunted down his teammate Alex Marquez and Team Calvo’s Maverick Vinales. That left Marquez, younger brother of MotoGP title favourite Marc, to fight his way through on the final lap when

Vinales ran wide at the hairpin and secure his maiden Grand Prix win. The three front-runners are now covered by just five points as they head for a showdown on home soil.

“The race was difficult,” said Marquez, “I tried to push so hard. In the middle of the race it was very difficult because I didn’t have a good feeling, so I tried to stay concentrated and go for the victory again.”

Australia’s Jack Miller showed up strongly again, qualifying in the top six again on the Racing Team Germany Honda and coming home in a fine sixth place. Aussie compatriot Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM) was the final point-scorer in 15th place.

For full results and standings, visit www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics.