Michael Scott | May 6, 2018
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Jerez — The new technical landscape has given MotoGP some very close racing. At Jerez today we saw the consequences … that if one rider crashes, there is every chance he will take a few more down with him.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) had already escaped, for an emphatic second win in a row, giving him the championship lead.
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Jerez
“I was convinced before the race I was able to win,” he said. “Today I was clever. I knew my team-mate was like me or even stronger, but the race is long and you have to manage many things.” One of them was a huge slide, on gravel strewn on the track after back-marker Tom Luthi had crashed. “I was too late to brake, but I did it Marquez style,” he laughed.
The battle was for second, between his team-mate Dani Pedrosa and the factory Ducatis, early leader Jorge Lorenzo and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso. At the far hairpin Dovi went inside Lorenzo, but ran wide. Lorenzo cut back just as Pedrosa was diving up the inside.
They touched, and all three went looping and tumbling, luckily without serious injury.
This left a lucky second for Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha), again the top Yamaha on a day when the factory riders struggled somewhat. “You need some luck sometimes,” he said. “I was fifth, and I thought it might be possible to catch the group ahead, but when I saw all three crashed together I could not believe it.”
There was a distant but good battle for the last podium spot. A close trio – Alma Pramac Ducati riders Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller, sandwiching Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) caught Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki), and Petrucci got ahead.
But Iannone fought back for his own second straight rostrum, and Suzuki’s first three in a row since 2007.
Petrucci was fourth, and Rossi got back in front of Miller for fifth.
A long way back, off-form second Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales took seventh from Pull & Bear Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista with two laps to go.
Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Honda) was ninth, the class rookie’s first top ten. Then wild card Red Bull KTM rider Mika Kallio led full-timer Pol Espargaro from Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) and the other KTM of Bradley Smith. Rabat and a distant Redding wrapped up the points.
Pole starter Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) crashed out of the front group after seven laps. By then Alex Rins (Suzuki) had also gone the same way.
Marquez took the championship lead on 70 points, then Zarco (56), Vinales (50), Iannone (47) and Dovizioso (46).
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Jerez