VOL. 51 ISSUE 35 SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 P47
They went off this time too,
"so I couldn't use the strategy
I wanted. But managing to stay
with them right to the very end
is a really great satisfaction... it
confirms the improvements we
are making to our machine."
The important number was
not fifth place, but the gap to
the leader - just 9.2 seconds.
Not so long ago, indeed at
Brno, they were happy to finish
less than 20 seconds adrift.
Practice and qualifying had
been cold and windy and all-but
showery; but race day dawned
clear and benign, and stayed that
way. It was a boon for 67,500
spectators spread over the
banks and stands of the massive
old track – the 3.65-mile lap the
longest of the year, and the race
average speed of 107.3 mph right
up with the top four.
Marquez was on pole,
Dovizioso second again, then
Lorenzo, with Pedrosa in the
middle of row two, sandwiched
between Aleix Espargaro and
Rossi.
Lorenzo made a brilliant start,
Briefly...
This time he couldn't save it, how-
ever. "I was pushing, and you always
push hard on the slow corner – then
I saw I was too fast, and I touched
the front brake," he said. In spite of
conspicuous efforts to test the limits
at almost every circuit, and contrary
to many predictions this was only
Marquez's fourth recorded crash this
year. Last year he racked up a total
of 15: only Yonny Hernandez had a
worse record, with 20.
So far this year the MotoGP crash
leader is Bradley Smith – with 12. In
Moto2, fellow-Briton and GP rookie
Sam Lowes (the reigning World Su-
persport Champion) has racked up
18; while Moto3 riders Karel Hanika
and Niccolo Antonelli have 14 apiece.
Increased bumps and decreased
grip faced riders at the British F1 GP
circuit, much used also for other car
races. Track veteran Cal Crutchlow
was typically dry on the topic. "We
need to stop F1 cars wrecking it for
us – two years after a resurface and
it's like a motocross already. Compa-
triot Smith agreed: "Something has
really chewed it up this year. Stowe
is quite polished, the entry to Vale is
like a whoop section." By day two,
most riders had managed to find a
way round, or dial in suspension to
suit. According to Dani Pedrosa, the
best way to cope was "by changing
your line"' while Marc Marquez said
philosophically: "They are the same
bumps for everybody." For Valentino
Rossi, they worked against a prom-
ising change of setting emphasis
they had found at Brno. "We found
a modification to improve tire life, but
for this track it is not good. We need
to have enough feeling in the front,
because the bumps... and they are a
fifth; then Antonelli, Honda rider
Alexis Masbou, followed by Danny
Kent, Niklas Ajo (both on Husqvar-
nas) completing the top ten, John
McPhee narrowly 11th, and the rest of
the points going to Hanika, Vinales,
Guevara and Binder.
Indy winner Efren Vazquez was out
on the first lap, after a collision left
him with a broken gearshift.
Miller still leads on points, 179 to
Marquez on 166. Rins took over third
with 150 points from Vazquez (145).
Non-scorer Fenati has 135.
Alex Rins won a battle over his
teammate Alex Marquez to win
the Moto3 GP.
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