9/9 pour le pilote Repsol Honda, qui depuis 2010 a remporté autant de victoires que de poles en Allemagne
Archi-favori au Sachsenring, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) n'a pas failli à sa réputation en remportant sa neuvième victoire en Allemagne toutes catégories confondues.
Surpris par Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) et Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) au départ, l'auteur de la pole position répliqua avant le cap de la mi-course pour reprendre le commandement et ne plus le lâcher jusqu'à l'arrivée.
Si la course de Márquez tenait du sans-faute, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) s'est lui aussi distingué avec une performance de premier choix. Parti de la sixième place de la grille, l'Italien a réalisé une course parfaite pour se hisser jusqu'à la deuxième marche du podium, en prenant notamment le dessus sur des Ducati en perte de souffle sur la deuxième partie de la course.
Auteur du holeshot et leader jusqu'au treizième tour, Lorenzo fut incapable de maintenir sa cadence sur la fin la course, son pneu arrière soft ne lui assurant plus assez de grip. Il termina finalement dans le sillage d'Àlvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team), cinquième à l'issue d'une solide course.
Lui aussi pénalisé par l'usure de ses pneumatiques, Petrucci se classait en quatrième position après avoir disputé la première place à Lorenzo sur les premiers tours. Le pilote Ducati s'inclina face à Maverick Viñales dans la lutte pour la troisième marche du podium, à seulement deux tours de l'arrivé.
Pénalisé par le manque de motricité de sa Yamaha YZR-M1, Viñales se rattrapa, comme deux semaines plus tôt à Assen, sur la deuxième moitié de l'épreuve. Il complète finalement, derrière Rossi, un double podium pour Yamaha.
Septième sous le drapeau à damier, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) n'a jamais semblé en mesure de reproduire le rythme qu'il avait affiché lors des essais libres, franchissant la ligne d'arrivée à près de huit secondes du vainqueur.
Parti depuis la treizième place, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) a décroché la neuvième place derrière Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) et devant Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
À l'issue du Grand Prix Pramac d'Allemagne, Márquez compte 46 points d'avance sur Rossi en tête du classement provisoire tandis que Viñales se maintient en troisième position.
A tactical masterclass saw the number 93 able to pull clear to take an incredible ninth German GP win in a row – from his ninth pole
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has re-written another piece of history in the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, storming the Sachsenring from a ninth pole in a row to take his ninth win in a row. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoG) took second and maintains his second place in the standings after an impressive bounce back after a tough Friday at the track, with the podium completed by teammate Maverick Viñales.
At lights out it was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) who got the holeshot from pole, moving from third into the lead as Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) slotted into second – with Marquez shuffled back into third. Rossi made a good start from sixth to move into fourth ahead of teammate Viñales, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) the key man to lose out from fifth.
Once at the front, Lorenzo set about putting the hammer down, making it the sixth race in succession the Mallorcan has led. It didn’t take too long for Marquez to make his way through to be the man behind his compatriot, however, and a game of cat and mouse began at the front as Marquez reeled in the rhythm ahead of him.
Meanwhile Rossi attacked Petrucci for third and moved through, as Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) then crashed out at Turn 12, the Brit’s say in the podium fight over early. Lorenzo was holding firm at the front, but Marquez then chose his moment and struck – taking over in the lead and leaving Lorenzo to be reeled in by Rossi.
That the Italian did, and the rider from Tavullia got his own hammer down once past to try and claw back some time to Marquez, but it wasn’t to be. The number 93 pulled the pin with perfect timing, with enough grip left to see him make a gap and keep it until crossing the line for stunning ninth win in a row at the Sachsenring – and all from pole.
Rossi was then safe in second for another podium finish, but teammate Viñales left it late to complete the rostrum. First Petrucci was the man pushing to pass a Lorenzo struggling with grip, before Viñales arrived on the scene and attacked the Mallorcan and then the Italian to take third and a second successive podium.
That made Petrucci top Independent Team rider in a well-fought fourth, just ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team)’s stunning ride to fifth. Bautista was the fastest man on track for a good number of laps and kept that incredible form to the end, the final man able to muscle past Lorenzo by the flag.
Lorenzo took P6 ahead of a tough day for teammate Andrea Dovizioso, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) putting in a solid ride to eighth. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) improved from his worst qualifying of the season so far to take ninth despite the difficult weekend, with an incredible ride from Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) putting the Brit in tenth to take KTM’s first top ten of the season.
Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was top rookie in eleventh and takes over at the top of the Rookie of the Year standings, ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who was caught in an early incident that saw Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) make contact with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and both go down; also affecting Iannone and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing. Miller finished P14, with Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) between him and Iannone. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the points. For full results click here!
Now summer awaits but it’s not too long until we’re back at Brno for the Czech GP
via http://www.motogp.com
