MotoGP 2017: Grand Prix of America

Marc Marquez has handed a championship lifeline in MotoGP Grand Prix of Americas, with his fifth consecutive victory in Texas made all the more sweeter by the fact that the winner of first two races of the season in Maverick Vinales crashed out.

After victories in Qatar and Argentina, hopes were high that Yamaha rider Vinales could challenge Marquez, the only man to win around the Circuit of the Americas in MotoGP having won all four previous races since the track was added to the calendar in 2013.

Marquez himself was coming off crashing out of the lead in Termas de Rio Hondo two weeks’ ago, leaving himself with a 37-point deficit in the process to Vinales, but the reigning world champion has clawed back vital ground ahead of the start of the European season after Vinales crashed out in America on the second lap of the race.

Marquez has cut the gap to Vinales to just 12 points as a result, but finds veteran Valentino Rossi out in front on 56 points after bagging his third consecutive podium finish, despite being handed a bizarre time penalty for a clash with Johann Zarco. Marquez got off the line well but it was his Repsol Honda teammate, Dani Pedrosa, who led into turn one from Marquez and Rossi, with Vinales dropping to fifth before overtaking Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo.

MotoGP 2016: Grand Prix of the Americas

All eyes were on Marc Marquez as the MotoGP World Championship lined up at the head the grid for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. The Spaniard went into the race with a perfect record on America Soil, winning every MotoGP race he started in the United States. While Marquez was quietly confident, there were a number of riders who were looking to return to the front once more.

Amongst them was Jorge Lorenzo, the 2015 MotoGP World Champion having suffered an uncharacteristic crash during Warm Up. Andrea Lannone was another ready to make an impact; having qualified fourth he started seventh after his penalty from the Argentina GP. All of the factory Yamaha and Ducati riders opted for medium tyres front and rear while pole man Marquez chose the soft front with medium rear.

Roaring off the line, Lorenzo grabbed the lead into Turn 1 but ran wide on exit, allowing Marquez to move ahead. The field all make it through the opening corners safe, Lorenzo in the second with Valentino Rossi hot on his tail. Andrea Dovizioso also made a good start and used the power of the Ducati Slide into second down the back straight. The third lap began with Rossi crashing out of the race at Turn 2, losing the front mid corner.

All the while Marquez and Dovizioso ran away at the front, Lorenzo defending his third place position. For the first time in 25 races, Rossi failed to finish the top five. Lap after lap, Marquez extended his lead and after only five laps his fourth straight win in Texas looked certain. But the remaining two spots on the podium were wide open, Lorenzo getting past Dovizioso with Dani Pedrosa waiting patiently behind. Round 4 of MotoGP World Championship takes place on the 24^th April at the Gran Premio Red Bull De Espana.