Michael Scott | October 7, 2018
2018 Thailand MotoGP Sunday Results
More than 100,000 first-time MotoGP fans were rewarded with an epic inaugural Thai GP at the Chang circuit today, ad Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso fought tooth and nail to the bitter end.
2018 Thailand MotoGP Sunday Results
Marquez’s Repsol Honda prevailed by just over a tenth of a second, after the pair’s last to-and-fro position swap at the final corner. In the past, it has been Ducati rider Dovi who had won out on these last-corner encounters. “This time it was the opposite,” said and exultant Marquez, whose seventh win of the year extended his points lead, giving him a clear chance of tying up his fifth MotoGP championship in six years of trying at Honda’s home track of Motegi in a fortnight.
Dovizioso still found some comfort in spite of the defeat. “It’s not nice to lose in the last seconds, but I am happy because this track was not ours.” As at Aragon, the result proved the all-round improvement of the Ducati, offering hope of more consistency at bogey tracks like Phillip
The race also showcased an unexpectedly resurgent Yamaha, with Movistar factory team rider Valentino Rossi leading for a six-lap spell of the 26-lap, 118.404-km race at the Chang circuit outside Buriram after starting from the front row. Then team-mate Vinales took over for an ultra-close third place, almost alongside Dovioso.
Rossi was fourth, and Monster Yamaha rider Johann Zarco fifth in the marque’s best result of the year, although it continued to extend its record winless streak to 25 races.
“I’m really happy,” said the more frequently gloomy Vinales. “We were very strong, especially at the end. The bike was working like it should. A podium in hot conditions [where the Yamaha has been struggling in recent times] is really good.”
The simplistic track layout, with slow corners leading into long straights and few overtaking places, made for very close racing, with strong midfield battles, and the top ten over the line in just over ten seconds.
Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki) lost out to Zarco on the last lap, after both had got ahead of a fading Cal Crutchlow (LCR Castrol Honda), who narrowly held on to seventh to a rapidly closing Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Ducati), charging through from 15th on the first lap.
Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) finally won out over team-mate Jack Miller for ninth; the pair at the end leaving Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki) behind.
Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha) was a strong 12th, top rookie, with his rival for that title, Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Honda) 14th, Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia between the pair. Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM) finally won a long and close fight with Scott Redding (Aprilia) for the final point.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) missed the race after sustaining injuries in a crash on Friday. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) crashed out after fighting through to fifth.
With four races to go, Marquez now has 271 points and a 77-point lead over Dovizioso, on 194. If he can preserve that at the next round in Japan, the title will be his. Rossi and Vinales are next on 172 and 146.
PTT THAILAND GRAND PRIX
MotoGP Race Classification 2018
Buriram, Sunday, October 07, 2018
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