MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 6/JUNE 1, 2014
MUGELLO CIRCUIT/MUGELLO, ITALY
P82
7 IN A ROW
Race number six, pole number
six for Marc Marquez. Actually pole
number seven… he was in the same
position for the final race of last year at
Valencia, before tying up the title.
The margin was a bit smaller than
usual, and times very close. Valentino
Rossi, for example, was barely half-a-
second down over a long 3.25-mile
lap. But he was 10th, on the fourth
row of the grid.
Marquez crashed at more than 200
mph in free practice here last year and
again in the race, his only such non-
finish of the season, and approached
Mugello with a modicum of trepida-
tion. Instead of his usual approach,
risking everything in the first session
then working his way back to a more
practical speed, he took it step by
step in the other direction.
"I had some question marks about
this track, because it was the most
difficult for me last year. With one year
of experience, though, I feel more
confident."
It would also be harder to break
away "as I've been doing so far this
year," because of the slipstreaming.
All the same, it would be a risky bet on
any other rider beating him.
Unless Jorge Lorenzo's professions
of being "very strong" were more than
just attempts to boost his confidence.
Winner here for the last three years,
he was on the other end of the front
row, a quarter of a second slower. His
own physical condition was at last up
to snuff, he said. "I think I can keep a
strong pace."
In between them came Andrea
Iannone's satellite Ducati, taking the
benefit not only of the soft tires but
also the hard-charging Italian's obvi-
ous talent.
This pushed Dani Pedrosa onto row
two. He'd led free practice for the first
time this year and was aiming for the
front row when, on his second exit, "I
made a small mistake – I touched the
engine mapping button without real-
izing, and lowered my engine power."
Pol Espargaro was alongside, walk-
ing away from a crash in the session;
then Cal Crutchlow's Ducati, happy
with row two, but saying: "after two
Pol Espargaro
(44), Iannone and
Dovizioso (04)
ended up disputing
fifth with Moto2
World Champion
Espargaro coming
out on top.
