MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 10 / AUGUST 10-12, 2018
RED BULL RING / SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA
P74
behind, and watched as Marquez's fi-
nal attempt to line up Lorenzo through
the last two corners went wrong as
both wheels slid under braking.
Crutchlow was alone, another eight
seconds away.
Four more, and then the Petrucci/
Rossi/Pedrosa trio, the latter pair
having passed a fading Rins with three
laps to go. It had been a fine effort
from Rossi, who started from 14th,
finished the first lap 11th, and gained
places all race long, in spite of ac-
celeration problems so bad they had
prompted an extraordinary public apol-
ogy from Yamaha the day before.
Next up, Johann Zarco (Monster Ya-
maha) regained two places on the last
lap from Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto
Ducati—through from a slow start) and
fast starter Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia
Ducati).
The increasingly dispirited Maverick
Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) was a cou-
ple of seconds behind in 12th, never
on the pace but ahead of Andrea Ian-
At the start of lap 19, Lorenzo
pounced into the first corner. At the
same time, Dovi was caught out—al-
most hitting Marquez's back wheel
and running wide. He lost touch,
albeit only narrowly, and would never
get back into an attacking position.
Marquez fought straight back. And
so did Lorenzo. They would be only
inches apart for the rest of the race,
with the Honda in front again three
or four more times, almost always at
turn three, but never for very long.
They were shaping up for the final
battle.
They started the last lap with Mar-
quez a couple of hundredths ahead
over the line, Lorenzo retaking the
lead into the first corner. There's a
fast kink next, then turn three. Loren-
zo ran in wide, giving Marquez room,
and he took the bait. But Lorenzo
was able to open the throttle sooner
and get back ahead, holding off the
furiously pressing Honda to the line.
Dovi was less than two seconds
(Left) Cal Crutchlow
got the better of
Danilo Petrucci for a
fine ride to fourth.
