Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa has brought to an end the season-long winning streak of team-mate Marc Marquez by taking a shock victory at today’s Brno MotoGP round.
Pedrosa came out of nowhere to bag the win from Jorge Lorenzo by a second with Valentino Rossi third while Marquez slumped to fourth place, finishing some eight seconds behind the winner with plenty of head scratching on both sides of the HRC pit.
The elder Spaniard had been struggling in free practice and could only muster fifth place in qualifying yesterday but caught and passed Yamaha’s Lorenzo with 17 laps to go and never looked back.
Smart money this weekend said that if anyone was going to beat the world champion-elect, it would have been a Yamaha as the M1 has a good record around the circuit and a lower track temperature also suits more than the Honda but Pedrosa proved otherwise.
“Today I was focussed. It didn’t work out the way I thought as I thought it would be more of a group at the start so I had to change my plan but the team is happy and I am happy,” said Pedrosa in parc ferme.
Shutters went down the instant Marquez rolled into his garage as the analysis of the problem began. As the laps went down and Marquez started to drop away from Rossi’s rear wheel, it looked as if he was struggling to hold a line and losing the front in any number of places. Interestingly, if you remove crashes and the Phillip Island disqualification, today was the first time that Marquez has finished off the podium in his MotoGP career.
"Today the bike wasn't ready and the rider wasn't ready," said Marquez, speaking in pitlane. "I tried to do my best and follow them but was not possible. Is important to understand that fourth place is also good for the championship."
Lorenzo, who had gambled on the soft-option front tyre, took the lead on lap two when he rode around the outside of Andreas Dovizioso and Iannone and immediately pulled a gap as Pedrosa and Marquez tried to find a way past Rossi.
It took the number 26 a couple of laps to make his way into second and then he set off after Lorenzo, taking the lap record on the way, and leaving Rossi and Marquez to dice for the final podium spot as the soft rear tyres of the Ducati men started to give up.
Marquez and Iannone got into a proper battle, running into each other twice with 18 laps to go while Rossi sat and watched, waiting for an opportunity to follow the reigning world champion through.
Rossi then began to reel Marquez in tenth by tenth and harried him into a uncharacteristic mistake. The Spaniard ran wide and Rossi dived up the inside with ten laps to go with Marquez unable to answer.
Iannone eventually won the Ducati battle, sealing fifth place on the Pramac Ducati by two tenths ahead of the works Desmosedici while Stefan Bradl just headed off Aleix Espargaro for seventh.
It was a disappointing race for Bradley Smith who also gambled with the soft front tyre while Alvaro Bautista completed the top ten.
Scott Redding was the first customer Honda home while Leon Camier bagged his first MotoGP points in only his second race, finishing 15th after a long battle with hometown hero Karel Abraham.
Both Michael Laverty and Cal Crutchlow crashed out in separate incidents, as did Pol Espargaro.
More in a minute
