Marquez dominant in Brno

Championship leader Marc Marquez reaffirmed his position at the top of the championship standings after another dominant weekend at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno. After equalling Mick Doohan’s 58 career pole positions on Saturday, his win makes him only the fourth rider in modern history to reach 50 top tier victories.

The race weekend was littered with scattered showers which played right into the Spaniards hands, known for being faultless in mixed conditions. The race start was delayed for 40 minutes after a shower dropped standing water onto the start/finish straight and into turn one.

Marquez started from pole after a masterful display in qualifications saw him lead the field by a whopping 2.5 seconds, also in intermediate conditions. From the start, the factory Honda rider edged out a commanding lead, and although close rival, Ducati rider Andrea Dovioso would stay with him for the opening stages of the race, he would later drop back as tyre wear came into play.

The battle behind the leading two was a close one, with Alex Rins, Jack Miller and Valentino Rossi trading places throughout the early stages. Rossi would fall back leaving the two youngsters to battle for the final position on the podium.

Jack managed to over-take Rins on the penultimate lap for his second podium of the year. Britain’s Cal Crutchlow would cross the line in fifth ahead of Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo. Danilo Petrucci was eighth, with Taka Nakagami and Maverick Vinales finishing off the top ten.

The teams will stay on for a day of testing in Brno before heading to the Red Bull Ring in Austria for round 11.