P136
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
O
n the eve of last week-
end's Catalunya GP,
with all but a third of the
season done, all three champi-
onships were as close as paint:
two points in Moto2, and three in
Moto3, after six of 19 rounds.
In the premier class, mind
you, it is a thicker coat of paint,
and the closeness is probably as
deceptive as the artificially close
racing that nowadays often hap-
pens in the early laps when the
top guys are saving their tires.
The gap is 12 points, and
the foregone conclusion of
Marc Marquez looks like it will
take some upsetting. Not least
because of a discernible change
in approach for the man who, six
years ago, became the young-
est-ever premier-class champi-
on. The Repsol Honda man has
been stealing rival Dovizioso's
thunder as a thinking rider.
A measured and intelligent
approach has long been Desmo
BEWARE OF MARC Mk2
The new Marquez.
Same as the old
Marquez?