Rookie Marc Marquez edged closer to taking his first MotoGP world title at Motorland Aragon this afternoon with another win ahead of reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo while Dani Pedrosa's aspirations went up in smoke as he was pinged over the highside of his Repsol Honda.
Lorenzo had done his customary disappearing act in the early stages, putting a second on the competition on lap one but it was Pedrosa who towed Marquez up to the flying Spaniard and closed the gap back down and they were together again on lap six.
But then disaster struck as Pedrosa slowed through the slow right/left and Marquez had to take avoiding action but clipped the rear of Pedrisa's RC213V. As he looked over his shoulder to find a space to re-join, his visor was filled with team-mate Pedrosa flying through the air as he asked too much of his electronics and rear Bridgestone. Officials are reporting that Pedrosa has banged his knee but suffered no serious injury.
Honda have said that Pedrosa's rear wheel speed sensor was damaged in the collision and he had no traction control, which would expain why he crashed so violently.
In the middle of all this, Lorenzo then made his escape and Marquez had to dig deep to find his way back, pulling in a couple of tenths a lap to get back on terms with 11 laps to go.
He wasted no time in putting a move on Lorenzo and took the lead but couldn't make a break with Lorenzo shadowing him for the rest of the encounter. However, the factory Yamaha man didn't have the pace to re-take his compatriot and the gap at the top of the table is now 39 points. Interestingly, those were the only riders to opt for the softer option front tyre.
Valentino Rossi bagged the final podium spot after a battle with Gresini Honda's Alvaro Bautista. The Spaniard put in a late charge with nine laps to go, passing Stefan Bradl for fourth and then Rossi three laps later.
The Doctor wasn't do be outdone, however, as he went back past Bautista on the penultimate lap. Bradl had held a watching brief in fifth and put a move on Bautista as they went into turn one for the final time but the Spaniard was back past at turn three and held it to the line.
Britain's Cal Crutchlow held sixth place for almost all of the race and his Monster Yamaha team-mate Bradley Smith was behind him, albeit 16s but the rookie held off a challenge from Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso early on and beat the former world champion by nine seconds.
Nicky Hayden and Andrea Iannone rounded out the top ten with Aleix Espargaro the leading CRT man in 11th place.
Michael Laverty had a disastrous race after hopping up to seventh place early doors but he was taken out in a collision between Danilo Petrucci and Luca Scassa, the latter managing to divert up an escape road and re-join.
