Moto GP

[Edge]

Looks like Brit' weather out there..........

In the end it came down to the two title protagonists. Andrea Dovizoso and Marc Marquez made the early running on a soaking wet Friday at Motegi, with just 0.043s separating the pair come the flag.

Conditions had barely improved from morning to afternoon with riders sticking with a full wet set-up with lap times coming in some eleven seconds off the outright circuit record.

That was not to deter Dovizioso however, who set about the early stages of the 45 minutes with clear resolve. Having established an early advantage of over one second, it was then left to his rivals to whittle that gap away.

[Edge]

1.3  WTF?

[Edge]

555 Marc playing on slicks and losing pole....nearly front row too.

Well done Bradley.....Zarco on pole.

[Kim Jong Il]

Didn't see quali......waaaaay out of my time zone :-)

Wonder what the the weather will be like for the race. Tyre choices might have been a bit iffy for quali but they will have to have it right for the race.

Could be a good race as it looks like some overtaking moves will be needed to get the pack up to its 'normalish' finishing positions.

If Maq wins this one is it as good as done?

[Edge]

Very mixed up grid.

Should be an interesting race...only prediction I'll make is that Lor will come storming through to take the lead and take off into the wind....but my fingers are crossed I'm wrong.

If Maq wins I don't think that's it just yet, but maybe depends where Dovi and Vin finish what the permutations are.

[Edge]

Just switched on, Moto3 warmup done Moto2 next...........

Still wet and raining....massive oil spillage caused delays......

Haven't heard race times yet, but Moto2 WU is about 2 hours late....Moto3 race should have been be off in 10 mins but Moto2 and MotoGP WUs yet to come.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Edge

[Edge]

MotoGP WU next.
Still not heard times, but races reduced to 2/3 distance...24 laps MotoGP, 15 laps Moto2??
Think they just said Moto3 race will start about 1 hour later than scheduled.

[Edge]

[Edge]

Revised Race Time.

It looks to me as though by reducing WUs and Race Distances they have dragged the MotoGP start time back to as scheduled.
Moto3 & 2 late obviously....Moto3 off now.....very wet.

Main Race
UK 06.00
Local 14.00
Thai  12.00

[Kim Jong Il]

What a finish!

Title fight is still well alive.

[Edge]

Superb race esp the last few laps of duelling between the two contenders.

Phew....well done Dovi ...Maq so nearly off.

Lor had his chance but......

Cal only scored 2 style points in his first crash so he had another go.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Edge

[Edge]

So Marc didn't win and the points advantage is only 11 as we head to Phillip Island, where Ducati have been known to do well.

After that, we have Malaysia, which is already sold out they say........wonder when tickets for Buriram will go on sale.

If the C'ship isn't settled by then, we go to the wire back in Spain at Valencia.

Riders' World Championship:
1. = Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 244 points 
2. = Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 233 points (-11)
3. = Maverick Viñales SPA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 203 points (-41)
4. = Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 170 points (-74)
5. = Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 168 points (-76)
6. = Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 125 points (-119)
7. = Jorge Lorenzo SPA Ducati Team (GP17) 116 points (-128)
8. = Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac (GP17) 111 points (-133)
9. = Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 92 points (-152)
10. = Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 84 points (-160)
11. = Alvaro Bautista SPA Pull&Bear Aspar (GP16) 70 points (-174)
12. ^2 Aleix Espargaro SPA Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 62 points (-182)
13. ˅1 Jack Miller AUS EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 56 points (-188)
14. ˅1 Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac (GP16) 56 points (-188)
15. ^1 Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 50 points (-194)
16. ˅1 Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia (GP15) 45 points (-199)
17. = Pol Espargaro SPA Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 42 points (-202)
18. ^2 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 38 points (-206)
19. = Tito Rabat SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 29 points (-215)
20. ˅2 Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar (GP15) 28 points (-216)

[gusincebu]

What a last lap !

Sent from my vivo 1713 using Tapatalk

[Edge]

Defending MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez says the 2017 title battle is wide open after nearest challenger Andrea Dovizioso’s victory at Motegi.

Marquez finished as the runner-up after a stunning fight between the pair in the wet, with Dovizioso getting the better of the Honda rider on the last lap to reduce his title advantage to 11 points with three races left to run.

“I don’t know who will win this championship but it is amazing to fight like we did today in rain conditions,” said Marquez.

“For me, second place is OK because we are in front of the championship but I took a lot of risks and we knew before this race that it will be difficult because here, Ducati and also Dovizioso are very fast here every year.

“We tried and in wet conditions I felt good, but today in the race with a lot of water, it was a little bit more difficult. I pushed, I took a lot of risks in a few laps but I saw that Dovi also was able to be very fast,” he added.

“Then I made a mistake in turn 8 and I already start to feel that my bike was shaking because of the slipstream of Dovi. He overtook me in turn 11 because he was stronger on the brake point. I was very far and anyway I said I will try at the last corner and see how it is, and it was a bit like the same situation in Austria. But second place was great, I’m happy because we are in a good way.”

The stakes were high but the title rivals traded blows fearlessly in their pursuit of glory and there was plenty of mutual respect on display at the end as they embraced in parc ferme.

“We fight in a good way and the only corner that was in the limit was turn 3, and I want to say sorry, but I braked very far from him and I realised that either I go inside, or I touch him,” Marquez said.

“I went inside and that was on the limit but the rest of the battle was very nice and I enjoyed a lot. Now we are already past Motegi, which is one of the circuits that in some years I struggled a lot, but now we go to other race tracks that normally I enjoy more.

“The championship is very close and I heard some people say it was almost done, but it was 16 points and now it is 11 and this is really tough to win,” he added.

“Dovi also is very consistent, very fast, and in rain conditions he is also very strong; so Australia, Malaysia, Valencia can be rain conditions also but the most important is that in each conditions, we are there. We will try to manage in the best way.”

[Edge]

[Kim Jong Il]

Dovi certainly left himself a bit to do if he wants to keep the gap at the top close(r).

[Edge]

Ďovi's rain dance is working.

Moto3 red flagged with a win and the c'ship for Mmir.

[Edge]

Zarco lol  

 

[Edge]

Riders' World Championship:
1. = Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 269 points 
2. = Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP17) 236 points (-33)
3. = Maverick Viñales SPA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 219 points (-50)
4. ^1 Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 188 points (-81)
5. ˅1 Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 174 points (-95)
6. = Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 138 points (-131)
7. = Jorge Lorenzo SPA Ducati Team (GP17) 117 points (-152)
8. = Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac (GP17) 111 points (-158)
9. = Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 103 points (-166)
10. = Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 84 points (-185)
11. = Alvaro Bautista SPA Pull&Bear Aspar (GP16) 70 points (-199)
12. ^1 Jack Miller AUS EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 65 points (-204)
13. ˅1 Aleix Espargaro SPA Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 62 points (-207)
14. = Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac (GP16) 61 points (-208)
15. = Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 60 points (-209)
16. ^1 Pol Espargaro SPA Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 49 points (-220)
17. ^1 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 46 points (-223)
18. ˅2 Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia (GP15) 45 points (-224)

[Kim Jong Il]

Just read the report as I didn't see the race....fast asleep at that time!

Sounds like Marc has about this tied up now I think, barring a disaster.

Good show from the Yamaha's by the looks.

I'll have to try and catch the replay on BT Sport.

[Edge]

24 minutes ago, Kim Jong Il said:

.........................................

I'll have to try and catch the replay on BT Sport.

Well worth it even knowing the result.

Sounds unlikely perhaps, but possibly the most exciting race this season.

[Kim Jong Il]

3 hours ago, Edge said:

Well worth it even knowing the result.

Sounds unlikely perhaps, but possibly the most exciting race this season.

You were right....that was good.

Watched the Moto 2 race as well. KTM's were good today, top 3 were close.

[Edge]

Early in the race, when Zar looked intent on taking out Maq, I was almost agreeing with Lor's whingeing about him.
By the end of a fantastic race the comments of the top riders took on a different tone.

Rossi..........“It’s like this, especially in the last period, the level of aggressiveness and contact during the race is raised a lot, especially when the young riders arrive from Moto2. Also Zarco is always very, very aggressive, so you can get angry but it changes nothing,” Rossi said.
“This is the game and if you want to play it is like this. It’s a bit more dangerous, but this is the way and if not, you have to stay at home.”

Marquez........“Of course there is a limit, but today was normal. It was aggressive and some contact, but in the end, this is racing and if we go down with the limit, it becomes likes Formula One racing. In the end, this is why MotoGP is going up."

Fantastic day for KTM with a 1-2 in Moto2 and 9-10 in MotoGP...more conjecture about when they can make a move for the likes of Marquez.

[Wally Hotvedt]

Just finished up the BTSport viewing, and I thought that Motegi was a fantastic race with 2 guys, then I watched this one with 6 in the dice....

I'd doubted Jackass would be able to be back, but so wrong.  Not only back, but shot out of the gate like a cannon and lead for how many laps.  Amazing effort

Been waiting for IA29 to finally get on the comeback, and to see Rins riding so well finally too.  Suzuki took a nice step this weekend

Loved Zarco's efforts, kid is going to be good (not that he isn't now).  Feels like he is taking MotoGP up a step in competitive level.  But him and Ianonne in the same dice? Lord, have to hide your eyes at times. 

Great race

[Edge]

With the luxury of some breathing space at the top of the championship, Marquez says he will minimise his risk-taking at the last two rounds after rolling the dice on numerous occasions this season.

“I took a lot of risks during the season and now it is time to be more patient. Also today in a few parts of the race but now, honestly, it is time to enjoy this victory,” he said.

“From tomorrow I will start to think about Malaysia but with that advantage, it is big, but not enough. You need to be patient, like a little bit in 2016, I take a lot of risks during the season on the tests, on the free practice, and now we need to approach maybe a little bit differently the next races.

“We know that Malaysia was a difficult circuit in the pre-season but now it is a completely different bike so we will see there, but try to give our maximum and try to control yourself a little bit in the race,” added Marquez.

“Now it’s time to breathe, but also be quiet, because [the gap is] 33 points and I’m feeling really good with the bike and confident. Now is not the time to do stupid things and from tomorrow I will sit with my team and try to plan well and organise well for the last two races.”

Sepang in Malaysia brings a run of three successive flyaway rounds to a conclusion next weekend, with Valencia in Spain hosting the season finale in November.