MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 14 / AUGUST 23-25, 2019
SILVERSTONE / TOWCESTER, UNITED KINGDOM
P74
to back off, the other choice be-
ing "win or crash."
It was enough for Rins to dive
inside, get the power on earlier
and pull marginally alongside
and finally half-a-length ahead
over the line.
The gap of 13 thousandths
was the fourth-closest finish in
GP history.
"Unbelievable," said Rins.
"He [Marquez] was so fast in the
last section, except for the last
corner. That was my only chance
left-hand loop, Rins did get
ahead to lead over the line.
Usually, this would have
handed the win to Marquez: "He
showed me his tactics."
Marquez got back ahead at
the Vale chicane and completed
almost all the lap on the limit, but
Rins still had his better speed
round the last corner, and the
Honda rider tried too hard to
defend. His front wheel slid
through the crucial Woodcote
left-hander, and he was obliged
round the wide expanses, the
differences between Honda
and Suzuki showing in different
sections, with Rins briefly ahead
on lap nine. Broadly, the Su-
zuki had higher corner speed,
the Honda better braking, and
corner-exit punch.
Rins mistakenly thought the
19th lap rather than the 20th was
the last and revealed his hand.
He attacked at the Vale chicane,
only for Marquez to take it back
immediately. Then at the long
IIIMY OWN RACE:
it was the championship, and if the
Yamaha riders arrived maybe we could
have finished lower. In the last turn, I
had a moment on the front and had to
close the gas, which let Rins through,
but we are happy because we leave
with 78 points over second."
12 MAVERICK VINALES
3RD MOTOGP
"I don't know if I would have been
able to make a move if I had been
closer to the front-runners, because
it's always difficult," said Maverick
Vinales. "I was closing the gap lap by
lap, just a li le, one or two tenths, but
I couldn't close the big gap in just one
lap. I tried my best, and I think we got
the maximum and maybe even more
from our bike today."
Miller and Crutchlow (in
front) had an entertaining
race-long scrap.