MotoGP Austin: Marc Marquez keeps Americas winning streak going
Marc Marquez overcame a grid penalty to score his sixth straight MotoGP victory at Austin in typically dominant fashion
Having been demoted to fourth place on the grid from pole for blocking Maverick Vinales in qualifying, Marquez leapt to second into Turn 1 as Andrea Iannone took the lead.
The Suzuki man's time in front proved short-lived however, as Marquez got by at Turn 12 on the opening lap.
Iannone was able to stick close enough to Marquez to have a go at the Honda rider at Turn 11 on lap three, but he ran wide and was repassed by the reigning champion on the exit of the corner.
Marquez proved unstoppable from that point on, opening a two-second advantage by the end of the fifth lap and doubling that margin in the following two tours.
His lead peaked at around seven seconds, and he controlled the gap to take his first win of the 2018 season and his 12th straight triumph on American soil by 3.5 seconds.
After losing touch with Marquez, Iannone soon came under pressure from Vinales, who passed for second at Turn 1 on lap seven and enjoyed an untroubled run to the runner-up spot after that.
Iannone managed to hang on to third place for his first podium as a Suzuki rider, ahead of Valentino Rossi, who pressured Yamaha team-mate Vinales in the early laps but couldn't find a way through.
Pre-race points leader Cal Crutchlow crashed at mid-distance during a tense scrap for fifth place, which was eventually won by Andrea Dovizioso over Tech3 Yamaha's Johann Zarco.
It means Dovizioso retakes the lead of the championship by a single point from Marquez, with Vinales just five behind in third.
Marquez's team-mate Dani Pedrosa salvaged seventh in a race he was unsure he would complete owing to the pain from his broken wrist.
Completing the top 10 were privateer Ducati pair Tito Rabat (Avintia) and Jack Miller (Pramac) and the leading Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro, who all crowded past a struggling Jorge Lorenzo late on.
Lorenzo had to be content with 11th, one place clear of the second Pramac machine of Danilo Petrucci.
Pol Espargaro, top rookie Takaaki Nakagami and Alvaro Bautista completed the scorers. Crutchlow remounted to finish out of the points in 19th.
Alex Rins and Hafizh Syahrin both crashed out, while Karel Abraham was forced to pull into the pits with wrist pain from his crash on Saturday.
Race result
| Pos | Rider | Team | Laps | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 20 | 41m52.002s |
| 2 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | 20 | 3.560s |
| 3 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 20 | 6.704s |
| 4 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 20 | 9.587s |
| 5 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 20 | 13.570s |
| 6 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | 20 | 14.231s |
| 7 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 20 | 18.201s |
| 8 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Ducati | 20 | 28.537s |
| 9 | Jack Miller | Pramac Ducati | 20 | 28.671s |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 20 | 28.875s |
| 11 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 20 | 31.355s |
| 12 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | 20 | 34.993s |
| 13 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 20 | 37.264s |
| 14 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | 20 | 39.335s |
| 15 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | 20 | 40.887s |
| 16 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 20 | 48.475s |
| 17 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | 20 | 49.995s |
| 18 | Thomas Luthi | MVDS Honda | 20 | 51.115s |
| 19 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | 20 | 59.055s |
| 20 | Xavier Simeon | Avintia Ducati | 20 | 59.747s |
| 21 | Franco Morbidelli | MVDS Honda | 20 | 1m00.513s |
| - | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 10 | Retirement |
| - | Hafizh Syahrin | Tech3 Yamaha | 8 | Retirement |
| - | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | 8 | Retirement |
Riders' standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Dovizioso | 46 |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | 45 |
| 3 | Maverick Vinales | 41 |
| 4 | Cal Crutchlow | 38 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | 38 |
| 6 | Andrea Iannone | 31 |
| 7 | Valentino Rossi | 29 |
| 8 | Jack Miller | 26 |
| 9 | Tito Rabat | 22 |
| 10 | Danilo Petrucci | 21 |
| 11 | Dani Pedrosa | 18 |
| 12 | Alex Rins | 16 |
| 13 | Hafizh Syahrin | 9 |
| 14 | Pol Espargaro | 8 |
| 15 | Aleix Espargaro | 6 |
| 16 | Jorge Lorenzo | 6 |
| 17 | Franco Morbidelli | 6 |
| 18 | Takaaki Nakagami | 5 |
| 19 | Scott Redding | 4 |
| 20 | Alvaro Bautista | 4 |
| 21 | Karel Abraham | 1 |
| 22 | Thomas Luthi | 0 |
| 23 | Bradley Smith | 0 |
| 24 | Xavier Simeon | 0 |
Previous article
Austin MotoGP: Injured Dani Pedrosa unsure if he will complete race
Next article
Marc Marquez motivated by MotoGP Argentina controversy at Austin
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Alex Marquez , Marc Marquez |
| Teams | AB Motoracing |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha’s rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021, having stormed to victory at a venue where he last year served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha’s factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend has revealed one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come
Where does Honda's new MotoGP signing sit ahead of its king's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Has Yamaha banished its demons with its 2021 MotoGP bike?
Against the expected run of play at Qatar's Losail circuit, both Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo carved through a resolute Ducati defence to secure back-to-back MotoGP wins for the Japanese marque. After a difficult 2020, it appears that Yamaha has swaggered back into championship contention
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice
