Marquez completes hat-trick

MotoGP
‘Normality’ returned to MotoGP at the all-new circuit in Argentina, mostly due to the fact that Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) finally rejoined his Honda-backed countrymen Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez in circulating at the front of the pack.

It was the Lorenzo of old as he made a lightning start and then settled into the top spot with metronomic precision. He didn’t win – Marquez and a fast-finishing Pedrosa eventually got his measure – but it was a stirring sign that his concentration and speed have returned ahead of the first European round at Jerez on May 4.

Marquez’s mission to become the first rider to win three races from pole position to start a new season since Giacomo Agostini in 1971 didn’t have a lot of initial crackle and pop as he fell back as far as seventh after a hectic start. However, his trajectory was inevitable on the back of his sublime lead-up form: he was in second position by four laps in and then maintained a steady gap to Lorenzo – about 0.3 seconds – before he pounced with nine laps remaining.

Lorenzo didn’t have anything left in the tank to fire back, while Pedrosa set the inaugural MotoGP lap record at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Honda circuit as he pinched second spot in the dying stages.

“The first lap was very difficult and we lost some ground, but we focused and recovered well,” said Marquez. “The key to winning this race was managing the tyres well, especially the rear tyre. My riding style can be very hard on rear tyres, so I had to focus hard to save some tyres for the end.

“I know the season is very long. Of course in Jerez we will try and win as we never know what will happen in the future. Dani is very strong and only 19 points behind me and we’re going to his favourite circuit.”

After running wide a few times in the opening laps, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) eventually settled and completed the 25-lapper in fourth position, well clear of Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP).

Italian Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing Ducati) and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro completed the top eight, while Alvaro Bautista’s nightmare start to the season on his GO&FUN Honda Gresini machine continued when he crashed out on lap one.

Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing Yamaha) was another to fall, but he remounted to take home the last world championship point in 15th position.

Australia’s Broc Parkes (Paul Bird Motorsport) was the final rider to complete the distance in 21st.

Moto2
Esteve ‘Tito’ Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team) was never troubled in his start-to-finish demolition job, easing his way to victory ahead of Xavier Simeon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Luis Salom (Pons HP 40) to extend his championship lead to a massive 28 points after just three rounds.

For Salom, it was his first Moto2 podium since crossing from Moto3, while Dominique Aegerter (TechnomagcarXpert) just edged out Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing) for fourth.

Round two winner Maverick Viñales (Pons HP 40) crashed out early on, and then pulled into the pits shortly afterwards.

Australia’s Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team) was 12th – but just over one-second adrift of ninth-placed German Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP).

Moto3    
Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) came agonisingly close to three wins in a row, leading into the second last turn before Italian Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) made an audacious passing maneuver up the inside.

The pair collided and it was Miller who was forced wide, which also allowed Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda) to sneak into second place at the death knell. Only seconds earlier, the fired-up Fenati had also banged bars with Marquez.

Officials mulled over the two collisions but eventually declared the finishing order would stand – although it was deemed that Fenati did ride in an irresponsible manner, and he was slapped with a penalty point on his riding ‘record’.

“My strategy on the penultimate lap was to let Marquez pass, but I also let Fenati by,” said Miller. “It didn’t upset me because on the last lap I could take advantage of the slipstream of two bikes on the back straight.

“I made the move to overtake them but I didn’t manage to get by Marquez and I had to pass him in the next corner. In the second to last corner I had the inside and was about to accelerate and I was hit from behind. I went into the dirty area of the track but was able to save the podium position.”

Miller holds a 17-point lead in the Moto3 title.

Seventeen-year-old Livio Loi (Marc VDS Racing Team) finished just inches behind Miller in fourth, with Marquez’s teammate Alex Rins fifth from Efren Vazquez (Saxo-Print-RTG Honda). South Australia’s Arthur Sissis (Mahindra Racing) was 22nd.