MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 14 / OCTOBER 5-7, 2018
CHANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / BURIRAM, THAILAND
P82
Jack Miller (43) was looking
good in the early stages but
dropped back with fading grip.
He'd been strong in practice,
crediting some balance changes
to the bike, as well as the
performance of a track-specific
new harder-construction rear
Michelin.
"I am very curious to see at
the next race if our improve-
ments are just this track and this
tire. I have no expectations for
Japan, but I am looking forward
to it."
The simplistic track layout,
with slow corners leading into
long straights, followed by a
slow section with few overtaking
places, made for very close rac-
ing, with strong midfield battles,
and the top 10 over the line in
just over 10 seconds.
Marquez led away from pole,
pursued by Rossi and Dovi. On
lap five, Rossi out-braked Mar-
quez and took the lead into the
turn-three hairpin, with Dovi do-
ing the same to the Honda at the
far end of the lap. Rossi led laps
five to 10, before succumbing
to Dovi on the run to the same
early hairpin. Marquez at once
consigned Rossi to third.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Castrol
Honda) had started strongly,
tailing the front three until after
half distance. On lap 18, Vinales
finally got past, and the rot had
set in for the English rider, who'd
been battling sundry bugs for
the past couple of weeks, but
blamed disappearing tire grip as
he continued to lose positions.
By this point, Dani Pedrosa
(Repsol Honda) had passed Alex
Rins (Ecstar Suzuki), and the
pair had got ahead of Zarco and
closed on Crutchlow, following
Vinales past him. Pedrosa would
not last another lap, however,
losing the front and sliding out at
Turn Five on lap 19.
This left a gap behind the
Yamahas, with Vinales gaining
speed to pass Rossi next time
around, the Italian's tire grip
fading so he had no response
as his teammate closed on the
leading pair.
Also, speeding up, Zarco was
promptly ahead of Crutchlow
and closing on Rins, getting
past him on the final lap.
The other rider on the move
was Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto
