2018 Argentina MotoGP Sunday News
Unbelievable. That’s what the drama of the Argentine GP would be, if it was offered as fiction. But it was fact, and just amazing … as the defending champion Marc Marquez – miles faster than anyone else – crossed the line fifth but earned no points; and fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow claimed his third MotoGP win after a bitter struggle for all 24 laps.
It was Honda’s 750th win, and made Crutchlow the first Briton to lead the World Championship since Barry Sheene back in the 1970s.
Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha) was a desperately close second to the LCR Honda rider; with Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) third after taking the lead several times mid-race.
First-time pole starter Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) had led much of the race, but tyre degradation on a slippery still half-damp track cost his chances, and he dropped to a disappointed fourth.
The drama began when the start was delayed by weather shifts, and all but Miller pitted to change to slick tyres. The Australian had chanced slicks to earn his first pole, and had done so again for the race.
Eventually after much confusion distance was cut by one lap, and all other riders were pushed back four rows on an extraordinary extended grid, with a big empty space behind Miller.
Then Marquez stalled his Repsol Honda on the grid. He got it started with a push, then did a U-turn to resume his grid slot. This illegal move cost him a ride-through penalty, and after leading five laps he dropped right to the back.
Fighting back through, he collided with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), almost having him off. He was ordered to drop one position as punishment.
He’d forced back through and took sixth of Valentino Rossi with five laps left … by bashing into him, causing him to crash on the wet grass.
Marquez crossed the line fifth, having now also passed Rossi’s Movistar Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales; with Qatar winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) seventh.
But the incident with Rossi earned him a third penalty: this time of 30 seconds, dropping him to 18th and out of the points; and promoted Dovizioso to sixth.
Tito Rabat (Ducati), Andrea Iannone (Suzuki), Hafizh Syahrin (Yamaha) and Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) completed the top ten.
Directly after the race, Marquez plus Honda team manager Alberto Puig and personal manager Emilio Alzamora strode to the Yamaha pit to apologise to Rossi – only to be sent packing by a furious “Uccio” Salucci, Rossi’s long-standing partner in crime and manager of his VR46 teams.
The repercussions of an extraordinary race will play out over the rest of the year.
2018 Argentina MotoGP Sunday News
Cal Crutchlow Claims It Was Not a Tricky Race
Cal Crutchlow actually downplayed the challenges of racing on a damp, wet and drying Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo en route to his third MotoGP victory.
“That was not a tricky race to be honest,” Crutchlow said. “Because it was only this wet patch in the last corner really. My lap times were as competitive as last year. My fastest lap on the last lap today was the same as the last lap, last year. So yeah, I’m pleased we did a good job today.
“It was a fantastic race by Johann and also Alex and Jack. I knew I needed to get to the front on the last laps because I knew once I got the front the tire would be perfect.”
Wins Will Come Johann Zarco Believes
Frenchman Johann Zarco came agonizingly close to victory on Sunday in Argentina. As it stands the second-year Monster Energy Tech 3 rider had to settle for the runner-up position. It marked his fourth time on the rostrum in MotoGP.
“The wins will come,” said an upbeat Zarco. “I just need to keep pushing in this way. The race was pretty difficult. On the dry Friday I struggled. I was maybe a bit better, we tried some things, but not relaxed enough to be faster than the others. I was behind them all the time trying to do my best. I tried to stay focused and to not make mistakes and at the end I was thinking all the time to try to find a place to pass Crutchlow, but I could not. Second place is pretty good in the way I was pushing. So this is perfect. I’m happy for him [Crutchlow]. He was stronger already on Friday, so he win the race. Me, I’ll take the points and I hope really that it’s [victory] is going to come soon.”
2018 Argentina MotoGP Sunday News
First MotoGP Podium for Álex Rins
It was a day that Team Suzuki Ecstar rider Álex Rins won’t soon forget. The 22-year-old Spaniard earned his first MotoGP podium in his second season in the championship. There were big smiles all around in the Suzuki camp and afterwards Rins said the team is making progress and admitted these kinds of finishes could encourage him to stay with the team in the future.
“I don’t have words to describe this podium, my thanks to the team,” he said. “They did a very good job, also in Japan during the winter.
“Before the start I was so nervous at the starting line. On the last lap I ran wide a little bit on turn seven and I was thinking that Miller maybe was on the back. I pushed to the limit and finally third, so I’m very, very happy.”
