MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 51 ISSUE 24 JUNE 17, 2014 P73
This gave Rossi a nearly one-
second gap, but it didn't last.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo was getting
closer to Pedrosa again.
By lap 18 Pedrosa was with the
leaders. At this point light rain
began, and both Honda riders
raised their hands and slowed.
But it was not the weather, as
Pedrosa explained later. He had
passed an unexpectedly slow
Marquez then noticed marshals
by the track. Thinking there must
have been a yellow flag and fear-
ing a penalty, his main aim had
been to resume his previous
position. That lap was some two
seconds off the pace, but all four
were soon back on full throttle.
Two laps later Lorenzo lost
contact with first three again and
Marquez was still leading by just
.3 of a second from Pedrosa and
Rossi. Victory would be decided
then between Repsol Honda
riders, as the Italian was losing
ground.
The last lap was a heart stop-
per. Marquez and Pedrosa ex-
changed their positions several
times, but then came Turn 11, and
the latter lost not only the race
but also second position after be-
ing overtaken by Rossi when he
ran wide.
We will never know if Marquez
slowed intentionally, but the only
undisputed truth is that a seventh
consecutive win was for Mar-
quez, the rider who dominates
the premier class like Mick Doo-
han did 15 years ago and Rossi
sometime later.
"I'm so happy because it was
a great race," Rossi said. "I tried
the maximum but also Dani [Pe-
drosa] overtook me and lost time.
Briefly...
change was to defer the requirement
for homologated wheels from 2015
to 2016, to avoid extra expense.
Moto2 and 3, however, will have to
use homologated wheels from 2015.
Torres was on the march, taking
fourth off Kallio one lap later, then
pushed past Aegerter and was setting
out after Luthi when he crashed at
the end of the back straight. His bike
went looping and the back wheel hit
Aegerter's screen, sending the Swiss
rider into the gravel as he recovered
from an incredibly lucky escape.
With three laps to go, Rabat was four
seconds clear of Vinales and 10 ahead
of Luthi. But Zarco was on the charge,
and caught Luthi at the end to claim a
maiden class podium. Then Kallio also
passed Luthi, consigning him to fifth.
Pasini and then Cardus came next,
followed by a battling
gang of five, over the
line within just over half a
second: Axel Pons, Mar-
cel Schrotter, Anthony
West, Lorenzo Baldas-
sarri and Julian Simon.
Takaaki Nakagami, a
recovered Aegerter and
Frenchman Louis Rossi
took the final points.
Rabat now has 149
points, Kallio a fading
115, then Vinales (89),
Aegerter (71) and Corsi
(66).
Tito Rabat was in a class of his own in Moto2.
Rossi did a lot of the leading in this
one, but he couldn't match the pace
of the Hondas in the final laps.
