MotoGP

Spanish superstar Marc Marquez grabbed his third MotoGP world title on Sunday, winning the Grand Prix of Japan while top rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi failed to finish.

Lorenzo crashed out five laps before the end of the race, all but handing a rampant Marquez the title. Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso finished in second place, ahead of Maverick Vinales of Suzuki. For Marquez, it's his fifth overall title and his third in MotoGP, after his triumphs in 2013 and 2014.

As shared by MotoGP's official Twitter account, the Honda man was as shocked as anyone when he realised he had won the title:

Don't quite think @marcmarquez93 was expecting that today!😜#GiveMe5 #JapaneseGP https://t.co/kBhWpQ8pM4

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016

Per Crash.net, he couldn't help but think of his grandmother, who died toward the tail end of the 2015 season:

It's an amazing feeling. I didn't expect here. When I saw Rossi was out I pushed for the victory. Then I saw Lorenzo was out I made a mistake in 4 or 5 corners. It was so difficult to concentrate. To come back on the top and win at Honda and Motegi. I don't want to forget my grandmother who died at this time last year. I think she would be happy.

Here's a look at the results from Sunday's race:

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Time/Gap
1	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	42'34.610
2	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+2.992
3	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+4.104
4	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+4.726
5	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	Honda	+15.049
6	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+19.654
7	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+23.032
8	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+28.555
9	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+28.802
10	Stefan BRADL	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+32.330
11	Katsuyuki NAKASUGA	JPN	Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing	Yamaha	+42.845
12	Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	+52.219
13	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+53.783
14	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	+54.760
15	Hiroshi AOYAMA	JPN	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	+1'00.155
16	Loris BAZ	FRA	Avintia Racing	Ducati	+1'04.440
17	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+1'42.966
18	Mike JONES	AUS	Avintia Racing	Ducati	1 Lap
Not Classified
	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	5 Laps
	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	18 Laps
	Jack MILLER	AUS	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	18 Laps
	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	22 Laps

The current MotoGP standings:

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	273
2	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	196
3	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	182
4	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	165
5	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	155
6	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	124
7	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	116
8	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	106
9	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	96
10	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	84
11	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	82
12	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	71
13	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	63
14	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	62
15	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	58
16	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	55
17	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	45
18	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
19	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	36
20	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	29
21	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	24
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	17
23	Katsuyuki NAKASUGA	Yamaha	JPN	5
24	Alex LOWES	Yamaha	GBR	3
25	Hiroshi AOYAMA	Honda	JPN	1
26	Nicky HAYDEN	Honda	USA	1
27	Mike JONES	Ducati	AUS	0

Marquez came into the Japan GP with a major lead in the standings, but virtually no one expected he would grab his fifth title this soon, especially with Rossi grabbing pole position and looking very fast in qualifying.

Lorenzo started the race on fire, taking the lead through Turn 1 ahead of Marquez and Rossi, while Aleix Espargaro also got off the line really fast.

Rossi and Lorenzo both posted faster times than Marquez in the opening laps, but the 23-year-old surged into the lead in Lap 4 with a stunning move past Lorenzo. The Honda man quickly pulled clear by half a second, and, as a result, Rossi had to take chances to pass Lorenzo or risk falling further behind.

The veteran briefly passed Lorenzo, but before he could start the hunt on Marquez, disaster struck, per MotoGP's official Twitter account:

#VR46 has CRASHED out of 2nd place!

Disaster for Rossi! #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/JJms54UM8j

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016

Rossi simply lost control of his bike, and after briefly getting back on, he turned to the pit lane and promptly retired from the race.

The crash moved Dovizioso up to third place, and the Italian found a surprising burst of pace to put pressure on Lorenzo. The Spaniard had a big crash during the third practice session, and many wondered whether his stamina would suffer as a result.

Dovizioso slowly started to close the gap, with Vinales battling for position behind him, while Marquez consistently put together the fastest times and was almost assured of the win at the midway point of the race.

Last year's world champion visibly tired toward the end of the race, and Dovzioso got ever closer, but before he had a chance to try an overtake, the unthinkable happened, per Crash.net MotoGP:

Lorenzo falls! Marc Marquez is now 4 laps away from being crowned 2016 champion #JapaneseGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/S5O9TohTar

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) October 16, 2016

Suddenly, Marquez was just a few laps away from another world title, and the young star cruised to the finish line, easily beating the field.

MotoGP shared this fantastic selfie the Spaniard took on the podium:

#Selfie #GiveMe5 🖐 pic.twitter.com/7pinaeukAW

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016

With three races left to go, neither Rossi nor Lorenzo added to their tallies in the standings, and Vinales managed to close the gap to the point he has to be considered a top-three contender if Lorenzo's injuries can't fully heal in time.

Rossi still has the edge in the battle for second, and given Lorenzo's health and the Italian's wealth of experience, he's a relatively safe bet to keep hold of his position.

Marc Marquez can win his third MotoGP championship on Sunday at the 2016 Grand Prix of Japan.

The Repsol Honda man has a 52-point lead over second-placed Valentino Rossi. If the Italian finishes 15th or lower, and his Movistar Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo places outside the top four, Marquez will be crowned champion once again having previously won the title in 2013 and 2014.

The Grand Prix is also the first of three flyaway races in as many weekends, with the Grands Prix of Australia and Malaysia soon to follow.

Here's the full schedule for the race. Read on for a closer look at the riders to watch on Sunday:

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Friday, Oct. 14	1:55 a.m	Free Practice 1
Friday, Oct. 14	6:05 a.m.	Free Practice 2
Saturday, Oct. 15	1:55 a.m	Free Practice 3
Saturday, Oct. 15	5:30 a.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, Oct. 15	6:10 a.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, Oct. 15	6:35 a.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, Oct. 16	6 a.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and fuboTV (U.S.).

      

Marc Marquez

Following his victory in Germany, Marquez steadily lost ground—if only a little—to Rossi in the next four races as the Italian finished ahead of him each time.

The Spaniard came roaring back in Aragon last time out, though, while his rival finished third, and now holds a commanding lead with four races left.

As MotoGP broadcaster Nick Harris demonstrated, it should be a question of when Marquez wins the title, rather than if:

Shirts packed ready to go. Will Marquez be crowned World Champion in Japan, Australia or Malaysia. We will find out in next three weeks

— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisMedia) October 10, 2016

The rider is not expecting to be crowned on Sunday, though, per MotoGP:

What does @marcmarquez93 think about his first title winning chance of the season this weekend?#JapaneseGP https://t.co/15qgAbiIHI

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 13, 2016

Marquez has experience of winning world titles there having won his second at Motegi, but he's anticipating a difficult race, according to MotoGP.com:

Valentino Rossi

With Lorenzo a further 14 points behind Rossi, the Doctor is effectively the only rider who can pose a threat to Marquez in the standings.

He shared a snippet of his team's preparation for the race on Instagram:

The 37-year-old ideally needs to take maximum points and have Marquez either retire—which he is yet to do this season—or have a repeat of the disastrous 13th-placed finish he endured in France.

Rossi isn't particularly enamoured with the prospect of three races in three weekends, however:

3 races in a row "a big stress", says @ValeYellow46#JapaneseGP https://t.co/3oirpNhVo5

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 13, 2016

Most of his success in Japan came at Suzuka, where he won three times, but he has only won once in Motegi, and that was in 2008. Last year, he finished second.

If he's to have any chance of claiming an unlikely title, he'll need to put in a similar performance.

Marc Marquez extended his lead at the top of the 2016 MotoGP standings on Sunday after overcoming a sluggish start to emerge as victor in the Aragon Grand Prix. 

Three years after his maiden triumph at the Spanish venue, Marquez thundered back with a vengeance to defeat runner-up Jorge Lorenzo, while Valentino Rossi was forced to settle for third.

Maverick Vinales made a very encouraging start to Sunday's race and held the lead for almost 10 laps before losing his way, ultimately having to settle for fourth, just shy of a place on the podium.

Here's a look at the final 2016 Aragon Grand Prix finishers, where Marquez booked his fourth win of the year and increased his standings lead to 52 points over Rossi, courtesy of the official MotoGP Twitter account:

🏁 #MotoGP

🇪🇸 @marcmarquez93
🇪🇸 @lorenzo99
🇮🇹 @ValeYellow46 #AragonGP pic.twitter.com/b3Qu8Oi0e8

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 25, 2016

With a second Aragon win under his belt, Marquez is now in pole position to become world champion for the third time in his career, boasting a massive standings lead with only four races remaining.

Here's how the riders' standings are shaping up after Sunday's result:

Good, GOOD day in the office for @marcmarquez93 ➡️ he now leads the standings by 5️⃣2️⃣ points!#AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/rSUbJvuiAP

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 25, 2016

Visit the official MotoGP website for a look at the world standings in full.

       

Recap

Riders took no time at all getting to grips with one another's bikes out of the gate on Sunday, but it was a distraction between two of the race favourites that allowed an early underdog to arise.

That fell after a near-collision between Lorenzo and Marquez opened the door for Vinales to take a surprise lead, as shown by Crash.net, an advantage he would go on to hold for much of Sunday's outing:

GO! Lorenzo and Marquez almost touch, Vinales past them both to lead #AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/OBD2Pob4NG

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) September 25, 2016

Marquez himself was contending for the lead early on, but an odd interchange saw the Spaniard drop as low as fifth, while Rossi and Lorenzo engaged in a battle to round out the top three.

BT Sport MotoGP provided footage of the wild, wide run at Turn 7 that saw Marquez drop his cushion early on:

😱 @marcmarquez93 slips from first to fifth after big mistake at Turn 7! #AragonGP https://t.co/ROUaoXDarZ

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) September 25, 2016

However, the 23-year-old recovered as only a rider of his class can, and it wasn't long before he passed Andrea Dovizioso and finally Lorenzo to take his Repsol Honda back into the top three.

Vinales managed to stave off the threat of Lorenzo, Rossi and Co. for almost half of his outing, but it was with 14 laps remaining the 21-year-old simply couldn't hold back the storm any longer and caved under pressure:

Costly error puts @maverickmack25 down to 3rd... and then 4th as #JL99 also passes him.#AragonGP https://t.co/hTCTeMpfNB

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 25, 2016

Further down the places, brothers Aleix and Pol Espargaro dueled to crack their way into the top six, but the efforts of Dani Pedrosa and Britain's Cal Crutchlow were holding their peers at bay for the most part.

While Crutchlow's own impressive display saw him pull ahead into fifth place, Marquez began to apply his own bit of pressure at the top of the order and picked a superb time to up the ante on those trailing:

1️⃣:4️⃣8️⃣.6️⃣

Brutal lap from @marcmarquez93! He has pulled the pin!#AragonGP pic.twitter.com/GaPZ0zUi61

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 25, 2016

Rossi needed to be kept on his toes, too, as Lorenzo lined up several attempts at making the pass into second before finally scything his way past the Doctor and into second place.

The Italian veteran made a last-ditch effort to swing wide with three laps to go in a bid to reclaim the spot from Lorenzo, but Rossi's attempt was badly misjudged, allowing Lorenzo to run in for the runner-up finish almost unopposed.

In the end, Marquez's run to the race win was an easy one, with Lorenzo and Rossi's battle for second spot taking enough heat off the starlet for him to take victory at Aragon for the second time in his career.

Riders can now look forward to three weeks of rest before resuming their campaign at the Japan Grand Prix on October 16, where Marquez will be hoping to increase his lead at the top even further, with Rossi and Lorenzo still in pursuit.

Marc Marquez returns to Spain as the MotoGP standings leader ahead of Sunday's 2016 Grand Prix of Aragon, but a stagnant period in results could see the young marvel fall closer to the pack this weekend.

The 23-year-old holds a 43-point advantage over second-placed Valentino Rossi, but after failing to register a podium finish in either of his last two races, there's everything to ride for at MotorLand Aragon this Sunday.

Marquez hasn't won a race since the 2016 German Prix back in July, whereas Rossi has clinched third or higher in his last three outings and is looking to close the gap with only five races of the season remaining.

Jorge Lorenzo will also be staking a claim on top spot in Aragon, a race he's won the last two years in succession, with the hope of doing what no other rider has done before and seal a hat-trick of victories.

Read on for a breakdown of Sunday's race schedule, complete with information on how you can live-stream the action and a preview of which riders to keep an eye on.

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Friday, Sept. 9	8:55 a.m	Free Practice 1
Friday, Sept. 9	1:05 p.m.	Free Practice 2
Saturday, Sept. 10	8:55 a.m	Free Practice 3
Saturday, Sept. 10	12:30 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, Sept. 10	1:10 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, Sept. 10	1:35 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, Sept. 11	1 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and fuboTV (U.S.).

Maverick Vinales

Marquez may be the young, Spanish whiz on most people's minds these days, but Maverick Vinales is another of his prodigious countrymen currently causing waves at the elite level of motor racing.

After winning the Best Rookie Award for the class of 2015, Vinales recently followed up that potential by winning the British Grand Prix at the start of September, and he told the media he's looking forward to a home return on Sunday:

The Motorland circuit is a very interesting one, it has a variety of areas that make it a demanding but fun layout. We arrive here with a positive feeling – the victory at Silverstone gave us an extra injection of confidence and in Misano, we did the best we could considering the conditions.

Also, Aragon is tricky regarding the weather. It could be cold or extremely hot.

Some races ago we were more worried about hot temperatures, but after Misano, we can approach this with more confidence as we finally proved we can be competitive in high temperatures and that was one of the things we were worried about previously.

The 21-year-old has also been hard at work in the gym preparing for what could be a memorable Spanish outing in Aragon, per his official Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/maverickmack25/status/778591603103522816

Not only did Vinales take top spot at Silverstone earlier this month, but he also recorded the fastest lap for the second race this season and is beginning to assert his presence among the best of MotoGP.

The future undoubtedly promises big things for one of the major starlets of the sport, but fifth-placed Vinales can threaten the rider standings' top three right now with the right display on Sunday.

Jorge Lorenzo

From one of the circuit's breakthrough stars to one of its more established assets, Lorenzo returns to Spain in 2016 with a third successive Aragon GP in sight, something no rider has ever accomplished.

The three-time MotoGP world champion told the official MotoGP website his Yamaha may not be suited to the environment, but he'll make his run at back-to-back wins all the same:

Despite the high expectations in Misano, we finally could come back to the podium after some bad races. In Misano we worked really well throughout the weekend but ultimately Dani and Vale were faster than us. At least we got another podium and we found the line regarding the setting with the bike. Now it‘s time to go to Aragon.

This track never suits our bike perfectly but over the last years we were able to win several times so you never know, especially this season with the new tyres everything is challenging and tricky. I‘m eager to fight on home soil and I will try to taste victory again.

However, MotoGP photojournalist Neil Spalding recently pushed the notion Yamaha team-mate Rossi has succeeded with recent intimidation tactics toward his partner:

. @himselfpsc @MotoGPJules I think Valencia 2013 was one of @lorenzo99 best races, its a shame he's now let @ValeYellow46 get under his skin

— Neil Spalding (@Spalders) September 15, 2016

Lorenzo recently ended a poor period of results with his third-place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix, having finished 17th and eighth in his two outings prior to that result.

It's been some months since Lorenzo enjoyed a consistent period of challenging for top spot, meaning he now faces a make-or-break moment if he's to contend for the 2016 world title.

Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa came from eighth on the grid to take a remarkable race victory in the San Marino Grand Prix at the Misano World Circuit on Sunday. 

Home favourite Valentino Rossi and Movistar Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo could do nothing to hold off the flying Spaniard, but both managed to take points out of MotoGP leader Marc Marquez as they finished second and third, respectively.

Marquez simply did not have the pace to compete at the front, but he did well to limit the damage to his championship lead by finishing fourth.

Rossi was in a jovial mood after the race despite missing out on the win, per BT Sport MotoGP:

A jovial @ValeYellow46 asks why @26_DaniPedrosa had to find his speed at Misano, instead of next round at Aragon 😄 https://t.co/HyJkSNcHWG

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) September 11, 2016

Pedrosa's victory was an emphatic return to form after some recent struggles, and he is the eighth different race winner of the 2016 season.

BT Sport MotoGP hailed the brilliant triumph on its Twitter feed:

You were right! @26_DaniPedrosa becomes the eighth #MotoGP winner of 2016 after incredible ride at the #SanMarinoGP https://t.co/1HCK3khDTV

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) September 11, 2016

Here are the confirmed results, along with the updated World Championship standings following Sunday's action:

Pos.	Points	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Time/Gap
1	25	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	43'43.524
2	20	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	+2.837
3	16	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	+4.359
4	13	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	+9.569
5	11	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	+15.467
6	10	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+19.676
7	9	Michele PIRRO	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	+22.936
8	8	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	+27.155
9	7	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	Honda	+27.202
10	6	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+33.968
11	5	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+39.206
12	4	Stefan BRADL	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	+39.967
13	3	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	Ducati	+42.997
14	2	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	+49.450
15	1	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	+54.879
16		Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	+1'05.072
17		Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	5 Laps

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	223
2	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	180
3	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	162
4	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	145
5	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	136
6	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	99
7	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	96
8	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	93
9	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	89
10	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	81
11	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	69
12	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	60
13	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	55
14	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	50
15	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	47
16	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	43
17	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
18	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	42
19	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	32
20	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	27
21	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	24
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	13
23	Alex LOWES	Yamaha	GBR	3

MotoGP writer Hannah Smith provided the grid ahead of the start of the race:

https://twitter.com/smith_hannah19/status/774936680885280768

Lorenzo made an excellent start from pole position and opened up a slight lead to the rest of the pack early on.

However, a mistake from the defending world champion with 27 laps remaining saw Rossi take the lead, with Marquez then out-thinking Maverick Vinales soon after to move into third.

Pedrosa gradually moved up from eighth until he was just behind team-mate Marquez, with the two Hondas lapping faster than the Yamahas.

Indeed, Pedrosa was faster than anyone on the track and slipped by Marquez at Turn 14 with 15 laps to go before haring after Lorenzo and taking second, per MotoGP:

Keep your 👀 on @26_DaniPedrosa, he's on a charge!

Up into third now chasing #JL99!#SanMarinoGP https://t.co/zNejyVK1Ot

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 11, 2016

Rossi had been untroubled at the front for much of the race after leapfrogging Lorenzo, but he found Pedrosa all over the back of him 10 laps out.

Looking to claim a victory in his virtual home race and make as big a gain as possible on Marquez in the standings, the veteran Italian briefly held off the inspired Pedrosa.

But there was no stopping the 30-year-old Spaniard, who hit the front after standing Rossi up with seven laps to go, per BT Sport MotoGP:

Move over Vale! @26_DaniPedrosa takes @ValeYellow46 to lead the #SanMarinoGP https://t.co/hHVKmo71Lj

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) September 11, 2016

Further back in the field, a slow Marquez was in danger of losing his fourth spot to Vinales before the chequered flag but managed to hold off the 21-year-old to limit the damage to his championship lead.

His fellow Honda rider made no mistakes at the front through the final laps, and Pedrosa came through ahead of Rossi to claim a first victory of the 2016 season.

Valentino Rossi desperately needs a win entering the 2016 MotoGP Grand Prix of San Marino, a virtual home race for the Italian who sits second in the standings.

Rossi trails Marc Marquez by 50 points after his third-placed finish at Silverstone, and as long as the Spaniard doesn't crash out of too many races and finishes consistently in the top three, the championship should be his.

Marquez took the win last year, breaking Yamaha's dominance at the track, via MotoGP's official Twitter account:

#SanMarinoGP wins since 2011:@YamahaMotoGP: 2011-2014🏆@HRC_MotoGP: 2015🏆#StatAttack
📊 https://t.co/Vn86JXJzEG pic.twitter.com/yNZCrM2jBQ

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 7, 2016

But that race took place in tough, rainy conditions, and the fast Misano track should suit Rossi, who grew up in Urbino, Italy, and is almost a local. Here's a look at the race schedule:

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Friday, Sept. 9	9:55 a.m	Free Practice 1
Friday, Sept. 9	2:05 p.m.	Free Practice 2
Saturday, Sept. 10	9:55 a.m	Free Practice 3
Saturday, Sept. 10	1:30 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, Sept. 10	2:10 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, Sept. 10	2:35 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, Sept. 11	2 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and FuboTV (U.S.).

Valentino Rossi

The 37-year-old only gained three points on Marquez in the British Grand Prix, finishing one spot ahead of the Spaniard. It was the kind of frustrating outcome the Italian has gotten used to this season, and with the gap between the two still sitting at 50 points, that likely won't change anytime soon.

Rossi needs wins more than anything, as he can't count on Marquez to crash out of races or make crucial mistakes―the 23-year-old's biggest asset is his consistency, and it's what has led him to two MotoGP world titles already.

Momentum is key in any race for the title, and the San Marino Grand Prix provides Rossi with the perfect opportunity to start a run. As he told MotoGP's official website, Misano is his track:

Misano will be the most special weekend of the season, because Misano is "my race", it's my home. Usually we are quite good there, so we hope to be competitive. There will be a great atmosphere: a lot of fans, a lot of people around and also a lot of pressure, so we have to try to give 20 [per cent] more than the maximum!

He's also not surprised so many great Italian racers come from this part of the peninsula:

.@ValeYellow46 says why he thinks this part of 🇮🇹 is a hub of racing talent...#SanMarinoGP https://t.co/5m7vSBGzek

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 8, 2016

Rossi will have to keep an eye on the guys below him in the standings, however. Jorge Lorenzo won three straight races at Misano before Rossi halted his streak in 2014, and the 29-year-old, who isn't afraid to take risks exiting corners, is as desperate for points as he is.

      

Marc Marquez

Conventional wisdom says Misano is a track that shouldn't suit Marquez at all. The young superstar likes wide-open tracks where he has the space to go wide out of turns and doesn't have to worry about tight battles all that much.

As you can see in this video, he prefers to take a far wider approach to medium-speed corners compared to Rossi:

Misano is nothing like Silverstone or some of the other previous tracks, however. It's tight and technical, and tailor-made for riders who love nothing more than to battle for the inside line. It's difficult to take a commanding lead, as minor errors occur constantly.

It was one of the few races Marquez didn't win during his magical 2014 season, but he did take the top spot last year, displaying his fantastic ability to deal with harsh weather conditions. Per Accuweather, the riders won't have to worry about rain this time around.

The key for Marquez will be to race intelligently. He doesn't have to win Sunday's race―a top-five finish will be more than enough to preserve the lead, and by avoiding the risks associated with the tight battles at Misano, he can set himself up well for the coming races, which suit his riding style more.

As shared by MotoGP's official Twitter account, Marquez confirmed he's not aiming for a win:

"I expect to fight for the podium"

- @marcmarquez93

📰 https://t.co/vK0aLDsh7x #SanMarinoGP pic.twitter.com/VM918okLSA

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 8, 2016

Rossi will need a lot of skill and a bit of luck to get even close to Marquez in the overall standings, and the Spaniard's best bet is not to help the veteran out by crashing and risking injury.

Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi will hope a partisan crowd can push him on to cut further into the Championship lead when the MotoGP season rolls into his home track for the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider could only trim three points off Marc Marquez's lead with his third-place finish at the British Grand Prix last time out but should be positive about his chances of topping the podium at the Misano World Circuit, where he won two years ago.

MotoGP's Twitter account offered up some statistics ahead of the race, which show Rossi's Yamaha team have claimed the most victories at Misano since the Grand Prix series returned to the track in 2007:

#SanMarinoGP wins since 2011:@YamahaMotoGP: 2011-2014🏆@HRC_MotoGP: 2015🏆#StatAttack
📊 https://t.co/Vn86JXJzEG pic.twitter.com/yNZCrM2jBQ

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 7, 2016

Marquez finished fourth at Silverstone to see his lead at the top of the standings reduced to 50 points. The Spaniard, of Repsol Honda, will again be the man to beat and can have confidence because of his decent record at the San Marino Grand Prix, having won there in 2015.

Here is a closer look at the battles we might see in Round 13 of 18.

    

Key Battles

At San Marino in 2015, over 90,000 fans watched Rossi endure a frustrating time in a rain-affected race that saw him come home in fifth. Marquez took the chequered flag that day.

The bad weather caught out Italian legend, and he paid for being the last rider to switch back to slicks after the rain stopped.

However, speaking to MotoGP's official website, Rossi said he was looking forward to his homecoming:

Misano will be the most special weekend of the season, because Misano is "my race", it's my home. Usually we are quite good there, so we hope to be competitive. There will be a great atmosphere: a lot of fans, a lot of people around and also a lot of pressure, so we have to try to give 20 [per cent] more than the maximum!

Marquez has looked the part all season, and Rossi will have to hope the Spanish star has an off day to make any real inroad into overhauling the deficit between the pair with just six races of the 2016 calendar remaining.

Indeed, the 23-year-old's victory last year was his first in MotoGP class at Misano, so the form book is not in Rossi's favour, and it will take a vintage display from the Italian if he is to beat Marquez on Sunday.

Away from the big two, Maverick Vinales came of age at Silverstone with his debut MotoGP win, taking victory, and intrigue will surround the youngster to see whether he can continue that form at Misano.

Delighted with his success, Vinales posted an image via Twitter of Rossi embracing him:

https://twitter.com/maverickmack25/status/773176924185190400

At just 21, Vinales demonstrated experience beyond his years to hold off the challenge of LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow for a win that ensured the rest of the field now knows all about his talent.

The Spanish Suzuki rider is 21 points behind defending MotoGP champion and compatriot Jorge Lorenzo in the race for third, and their matchup could be as entertaining and gripping as the one between Marquez and Rossi.

Lorenzo should have the edge, however, and has good pedigree at Misano. Despite crashing out spectacularly last year, he has triumphed in this race three times.

British hopes will rest on the in-form Crutchlow, who has gained more points than anyone over the last four races but isn’t sure how.

"I have no idea why," Crutchlow said, per Mitchell Adam of Autosport. "I feel good on the bike, I am able to push, I know my limit was always better than what I showed at the start of the year."

For the most part, the key clash at Misano looks to be between Marquez and Rossi. The Italian will need at least a top-two finish and his rival to falter badly to have any hope of recording a 10th world title this year. If that happens, fans should get set for a fantastic run-in.

However, as noted by Mat Oxley of Motor Sport Magazine, seven different riders have won the last seven races. That trend is unlikely to continue on Sunday, when Marquez should prove strong enough to maintain what is already a healthy lead in the title race.

Maverick Vinales produced a dominant display to grab his maiden win in MotoGP, mastering the track to triumph at the Silverstone Circuit for the Grand Prix of Britain on Sunday.  

Cal Crutchlow held off a late charge from two-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez to claim second, and Valentino Rossi grabbed third by the smallest of margins.

A crash affected the day's racing, as Loris Baz and Pol Espargaro were injured in a dramatic collision.

Here are the confirmed results and latest world standings:

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Km/h	Time/Gap
1	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	172.1	39'03.559
2	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	Honda	171.9	+3.480
3	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	171.9	+4.063
4	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	171.7	+5.992
5	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	171.7	+6.381
6	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	171.3	+12.303
7	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	Suzuki	171.0	+16.672
8	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	170.7	+19.432
9	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	170.3	+25.618
10	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	Aprilia	169.8	+32.084
11	Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	169.5	+36.131
12	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	Ducati	169.3	+39.130
13	Alex LOWES	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	169.2	+40.143
14	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	Ducati	169.2	+41.356
15	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	169.2	+41.943
16	Jack MILLER	AUS	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	Honda	168.7	+47.610
17	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	Ducati	164.0	+1'56.177

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	210
2	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	160
3	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	146
4	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	125
5	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	120
6	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	96
7	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	89
8	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	86
9	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	81
10	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	78
11	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	67
12	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	60
13	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	54
14	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	45
15	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
16	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	42
17	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	41
18	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	39
19	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	27
20	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	24
21	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	23
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	13
23	Alex LOWES	Yamaha	GBR	3

Recap

Vinales gave the display of a veteran despite his young age (21), as he dominated at the Grand Prix of Britain.

The real action unfolded behind the winning rider, as current world championship leader Marquez battled for position with Crutchlow and Italian legend Rossi.

Rossi was quickest off the mark as he grabbed the lead, but a huge crash occurred on the opening bends. It produced a red flag, as the bikes of Baz and Espargaro flew through the air at Becketts.

Debris was strewn across the track, as medical staff attended to Baz and Espargaro after both men took sickening falls.

Both motorcycles were completely wrecked in the high-speed incident.

Moto GP's official Twitter feed gave updates on the injured riders:

Good news is that @lorisbaz and @polespargaro are both conscious and undergoing examination#BritishGP

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 4, 2016

The race restarted after a substantial delay, and Crutchlow took advantage, taking the initiative to head the field early on as Rossi chased him.

Marquez was 11th when the red flag was shown, and despite his more conservative and tactical displays of recent times, he produced his aggressive best once again to rise through the field.

Vinales caught Rossi as he made a play for the front, and he duelled with Crutchlow at the head of the race. The 21-year-old Spaniard was tactically supreme as he maintained a gap between himself and the English rider.

As the young starlet edged away from Crutchlow, Marquez made his move and attacked with intent. Rossi refused to let the pair fight alone and punctured the standings.

Stefan Bradl crashed his Aprilia, causing more drama, and Scott Redding also soon hit the tarmac when he attempted to battle through from ninth place.

There was a further accident when Andrea Iannone pushed hard to take a podium place but crashed with five laps remaining.

As the winner earned his procession to victory, Crutchlow held off seven-time champion Rossi and the irrepressible talent of Marquez.

The Brit reacted to his fine finish after the race, per BT Sport (h/t BBC Sport).

"It was a long race but good fun," said Crutchlow. "We deserved that result. The crowd deserved it. They've backed me for years. Pole and second I'll take that all day long. I expected to be in the top six."

The championship now belongs to Marquez, but the emergence of Vinales reinforces the competitive nature of MotoGP.

Rossi is still in tremendous form as he monitors the development of the wonderful young talent around him, but he is unlikely to lift another world title this season. 

Two-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez maintains a 53-point lead over motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi as the 2016 season lands at the Silverstone Circuit for the Grand Prix of Britain on Sunday. 

Italian hero Rossi has found it difficult to match his previous efforts during the first half of the season, giving Marquez a superior advantage over the best riders in the world.

Current champion Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP resides six points behind Rossi as he attempts to defend his championship crown.

Read on for a closer look at the key riders for the race, along with full scheduling and live-streaming details.

Date	Time (BST)	Session
Friday, Sept. 2	9:55 a.m	Free Practice 1
Friday, Sept. 2	2:05 p.m.	Free Practice 2
Saturday, Sept. 3	9:55 a.m	Free Practice 3
Saturday, Sept. 3	1:30 p.m.	Free Practice 4
Saturday, Sept. 3	2:10 p.m.	Qualifying 1
Saturday, Sept. 3	2:35 p.m.	Qualifying 2
Sunday, Sept. 4	3.30 p.m.	Race

Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.) and FuboTV (U.S.).

Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez

Rossi will attempt to repeat his race win from 2015 in Great Britain as he makes a desperate attempt to cut down Marquez's procession to the world title.

The Doctor has a good record at Silverstone, and prevailed in the rain last season as he surprisingly caught Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso.

According to Crash.net, Rossi said ahead of Friday's practice:

I have very nice recent memories of Silverstone. Last year I won a really incredible race in very difficult conditions. I hope that this year there will be nice weather, but from the climatic point of view the English race is very uncertain. 

I like Silverstone a lot, it's a very fun track but also very demanding. This circuit is very long and there are many changes of direction with high speeds. It is important to find a perfect set-up for the bike to be able to suit both the slow and the fast corners. 

We will try to work on all aspects, as we have been doing the entire season to get the best possible result.

Marquez has been untouchable this term, and even with the depth of experience brought to the track by the exciting Italian, the runaway championship leader has turned on the style on multiple occasions. 

Mat Oxley of MotorSport Magazine highlighted the Spaniard's position: "It would appear to be game over: even if Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo win the last seven races, Marquez can afford to finish second or third at every race and still take home the title."

Marquez failed to finish in England last time around but the nature of his lead should provide him with huge confidence in the race.

The Spanish star has matured in the past 12 months and he has approached his racing with erudite caution and skill.

At Sepang in February, Marquez admitted he has been forced to reevaluate his approach, per Oxley.

“At the end of last season I analysed my championship a lot – I crashed in six races, so I made too many mistakes,” he said. “OK, so now I know I have to finish these races to finish the season in a good way, I have to avoid mistakes.”

Despite Rossi's natural verve and cavalier approach, Marquez knows a conservative end to the season will suit his advantage at the summit.

Lorenzo remains an outside threat and he is the most successful MotoGP rider at the famous British track, according to MotoGP.com.

Marquez appears comfortable this year and has ironed out the creases in his regular strategy from last season's efforts.

Rossi and Lorenzo certainly have the pace if the championship leader presses the self-destruct button, but if Marquez avoids injury, he looks set to scoop a third world title with consummate ease.

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow produced a storming finish to grab his first win in MotoGP, mastering testing conditions to triumph in the Czech Republic Grand Prix on Sunday. 

Crutchlow surged from the middle of the field in the second half of the race, picking off riders and eventually jumping ahead of Ducati’s Andrea Iannone into the lead. The Italian fell well back down the field late on, with Yamaha's Valentino Rossi and Honda's Marc Marquez taking second and third, respectively.

Marquez now leads the world championship standings by 53 points from Rossi. That's after Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo, who had a day to forget, came home in 17th position.

Here are the results from the race, the revised standings and a look back at a thrilling victory for Crutchlow.

Pos.	Rider	Nation	Team	Time/Gap
1	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	LCR Honda	47'44.290
2	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	+7.298
3	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+9.587
4	Loris BAZ	FRA	Avintia Racing	+12.558
5	Hector BARBERA	SPA	Avintia Racing	+13.093
6	Eugene LAVERTY	IRL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	+13.812
7	Danilo PETRUCCI	ITA	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+23.414
8	Andrea IANNONE	ITA	Ducati Team	+24.562
9	Maverick VINALES	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	+24.581
10	Tito RABAT	SPA	Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS	+37.131
11	Yonny HERNANDEZ	COL	Pull & Bear Aspar Team	+39.911
12	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	+41.097
13	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	+43.202
14	Stefan BRADL	GER	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+45.687
15	Scott REDDING	GBR	OCTO Pramac Yakhnich	+1'02.201
16	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	Aprilia Racing Team Gresini	+1'18.841
17	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	1 Lap
DNF	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	7 Laps
DNF	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	8 Laps
DNF	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	Team SUZUKI ECSTAR	9 Laps

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Marc MARQUEZ	Honda	SPA	197
2	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	ITA	144
3	Jorge LORENZO	Yamaha	SPA	138
4	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	SPA	109
5	Maverick VINALES	Suzuki	SPA	100
6	Andrea IANNONE	Ducati	ITA	96
7	Pol ESPARGARO	Yamaha	SPA	81
8	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	Ducati	ITA	79
9	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	SPA	76
10	Cal CRUTCHLOW	Honda	GBR	66
11	Eugene LAVERTY	Ducati	IRL	63
12	Scott REDDING	Ducati	GBR	54
13	Aleix ESPARGARO	Suzuki	SPA	51
14	Jack MILLER	Honda	AUS	42
15	Bradley SMITH	Yamaha	GBR	42
16	Stefan BRADL	Aprilia	GER	39
17	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	ITA	38
18	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Aprilia	SPA	35
19	Tito RABAT	Honda	SPA	26
20	Loris BAZ	Ducati	FRA	24
21	Michele PIRRO	Ducati	ITA	23
22	Yonny HERNANDEZ	Ducati	COL	8

     

Crutchlow Storms to Memorable Win

Having qualified in pole position, Marquez was able to keep in front off the line, although the Ducati duo of Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso scythed through the field into second and third, respectively.

The pace of the Ducati’s proved too tough to handle in the early stages, as they both surged by the Honda man. Indeed, Steve Redding also capitalised on Marquez’s struggles in the changing conditions, moving past the Spaniard and up into third.

Per Crash.net MotoGP, it was a superb start for the Ducati teams:

Ducati 1-2-3 as Redding overtakes Marquez for 3rd #CzechGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/m93WZ44raD

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) August 21, 2016

The trio started to build something of a gap at the front, with Redding not intent on sitting in third spot. He was able to part the Ducatis, racing around Dovizioso into second spot behind Iannone.

Meanwhile, the Yamaha duo of Rossi and Lorenzo were both struggling for pace and looking out of contention for a podium spot, although the former was building his pace steadily. Marquez was battling with compatriots Hector Barbera and Aleix Espargaro to remain in fourth, with the latter passing him on Lap 9.

It’d get better for Barbera, too, as Dovizioso ran into trouble on Lap 10, putting an end to his chances. Per GPxtra, there were some riders further back in the field making moves:

Crutchlow is absolutely flying! He is two seconds a lap faster than the leaders with his hard tyres!

— Aaron Rowles (@GP_Xtra) August 21, 2016

Crutchlow is 7 seconds behind the leaders and taking at least a second a lap off the leaders - he is really in the box seat #CzechGP #MotoGP

— Aaron Rowles (@GP_Xtra) August 21, 2016

Indeed, Crutchlow was involved in an exciting tussle with Rossi, who was beginning to jump up the field himself, per the MotoGP Twitter feed:

.@calcrutchlow is the fastest man on track, the first to dip into 2:08s while battling with #VR46!#CzechGP https://t.co/LMHRHHnuwV

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 21, 2016

The Englishman found himself in fourth with nine laps left in the race, setting up a fascinating final section of the race and quickly closing the gap on Iannone, Barbera and Redding up front. Crutchlow was in a superb groove at this juncture and was quickly up into second spot.

Only the Ducati of Iannone separated Crutchlow from first place and the Coventry-born rider was quickly all over the back of the leader. With his superior pace at this point, the Englishman easily moved past Iannone and, remarkably, led the race.

Commentator Steve English paid tribute to Crutchlow’s superb temperament, with just five laps remaining:

Crutchlow has looked so comfortable behind Iannone leads now. Really smart race so far from Cal

— sTTevie (@SteveEnglishGP) August 21, 2016

With open road ahead, the Honda blitzed off into the distance, quickly leaving Iannone looking over his shoulder. The only man as fast as Crutchlow on the track at this juncture was Rossi, having moved up into third with some sublime riding.

He was then brilliantly placed to capitalise on an error from his compatriot, jumping into second. Iannone, from that point, lost grip on his front tyre and some sloppy riding saw Marquez, who produced an excellent last lap, take the final step on the podium. The Ducati man, having led for so long, eventually limped home in eighth.

Meanwhile, here's a look at the moment Crutchlow crossed the line, per BT Sport MotoGP:

History! @calcrutchlow powers to his first ever #MotoGP victory at the #CzechGP in Brno! 🏁🇬🇧🏆 https://t.co/C2hedTMmq9

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) August 21, 2016

Afterwards, he admitted the strategy deployed was a big risk. "I took the gamble," he said, per Crash.net. "I don't know if anyone else did this. As far as I'm concerned they're all wimps! I'm so thankful for my team. That was a good way to repay them today."

This will go down as a memorable win for Crutchlow in a race that had so many factors to consider. The drying track was tough to negotiate and fast riders were out of position, but the Englishman showed great composure in his overtaking at Brno. Once he was at the head of the field, victory was never in doubt. 

Meanwhile, with Lorenzo crawling home in last place, Rossi and Marquez will be pleased with their late recoveries. Neither were at their best today, although these battling afternoons can be so important to keep momentum building in their world title bids.