MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 51 ISSUE 15 APRIL 15, 2014 P47
and all the rest, the two Hondas
moving clear from the start, and
Pedrosa shadowing impressively
at first but without ever looking
threatening, until by half distance
the gap had stretched beyond
two seconds. Marquez set a new
record on lap three.
Pramac Ducatis' Andrea Ian-
none took a flying start and held
third, while a gang piled up behind
Marlboro Ducati's Cal Crutchlow,
losing ground behind.
After three laps the order in his
wake was Rossi, LCR Honda's
Stefan Bradl, Dovizioso, Bradley
Smith and Pol Espargaro (both
Monster Yamaha) and Go & Fun
Honda's Alvaro Bautista, all over
one another.
Crutchlow's problems start-
ed the next time around: a rear
tire problem had the bike shak-
ing so much he slowed and pit-
ted for a change. His efforts
were doomed, however, and he
crashed heavily late in the race,
suffering fractures to his right
hand that will prove costly over
the coming races.
Now Rossi was ahead, and
he stretched the pursuit as he
sliced the one-second gap to Ian-
none to zero in just one lap. He
stayed close until after one-third
Briefly...
the time that happened, however,
he was locked in a dispute with the
circuit owners over the loss of that
contract, and banned from attending
the venue. Schwantz was anticipat-
ing a court case to try to reassert his
rights, but a change in management
had eased the way to an out-of-court
settlement, and his return to the fold
– now as "ambassador" for the race
rather than promoter.
Moto3 winner Jack Miller (8) was attacked
in the final laps by Romano Fenati (5), Efren
Vazquez (7) and Alex Marquez (12).
Miller's strength saw him on top from the
start of the weekend through all the way for
a fine second win in succession. Fenati was
second, Vazquez third, all within two tenths.
Rins had his hands full with Kornfeil to the
finish; more than 10 seconds away Alexis
Masbou held off Fenati's teammate Bagnaia
for sixth. Close behind, Danny Kent beat John
McPhee's SaxoPrint Honda and fast rookie
Karel Hanika on the second Red Bull KTM.
The championship is taking a good early
shape for Miller, heading Vazquez, 50- 32;
then comes Fenati and Rins tied with 24
points.
Andrea Dovizioso (04) put Ducati
in the rostrum after finishing third
at Circuit of the Americas. Early on
Dovizioso battled with his teammate
Cal Crutchlow (35), with the Brit
ending up crashing out of the race.