VOL. 51 ISSUE 41 OCTOBER 14, 2014 P39
vistar Yamaha team's third of the
season.
Lorenzo had also started off the
front row, and had to follow team-
mate Valentino Rossi for the first
four of 24 laps of the rather miracu-
lously still dry Motegi circuit – the
threat of an imminent typhoon hold-
ing off for race day.
Once he was past, Lorenzo was
in a class of his own, setting a new
record as he reeled off his typically
needle-sharp laps.
The start had been fraught, with
Rossi taking a flyer to lead pole
man Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati,
but second Ducati man Andrea Ian-
none rocketed away to arrive at the
first corner ahead of Lorenzo.
"We arrived three in a row," said
Lorenzo. "I took a lot of risks to stay
third, then second."
He hung behind Rossi, then "I
could see little by little he was get-
ting slower, so I took profit. It is al-
Briefly...
satellite factory Honda RC213V next
year, back with his old Moto2 team,
Marc VDS Racing. There were long
faces at the breach of Honda pro-
tocol, but matters have been put
right with the official announcement
at Motegi. The team is owned by
Stella Artois brewing magnate Marc
van der Straten, one of a portfolio of
racing interests that includes sports
cars and international rallying. "New-
comers we may be, but I think we
have shown we are to race and to
win, which I believe reflects Honda's
philosophy also," he said.
Mischievous rumors that former Val-
entino Rossi (and Mick Doohan and
Wayne Gardner) crew chief Jeremy
Burgess will return to racing next
year to fill the same role for the latest
Australian hot-shot Jack Miller were
put to bed at Motegi when it was
revealed that Honda's Cristian Gab-
arrini will be Miller's man in the pit
box. Gabarrini was the crew chief for
Casey Stoner's two world titles, first
at Ducati before moving to Honda
with the Australian. This year, he has
been in charge of the RCV1000R
was busy fending off Simon, whose
teammate, rookie Franco Morbidelli,
had closed right up, only to drop away
again by the end.
More than five seconds away
Dominique Aegerter had finally caught
and passed Ricard Cardus, only to slip
off with three laps to go, remounting to
finish 18th, out of the points.
By the finish, Malaysian thruster
Hafizh Syahrin had also got ahead of
Cardus for eighth; the pair comfort-
ably ahead of Xavier Simeon and Jordi
Torres, pressed at the end by Jonas
Folger. Takaaki Nakagami passed Gino
Rea with a couple of laps to go; Luis
Salom succeeded in retaining the last
point from a pressing Louis Rossi.
Sam Lowes was an early faller,
joined on the crash list by Simon Cor-
tese (twice!), Pasini, West, Schrotter
and Pons.
Rabat stretched his lead over Kallio,
294-256; Vinales is closing on 224.
Aegerter is now out of touch on 143,
with compatriot Luthi closing on 141.
It took 15 rounds, but veteran
Thomas Luthi finally won his Moto2
Grand Prix of the season in Japan.
Jorge Lorenzo's race was masterful,
the factory Yamaha rider storming
through to take the lead and hold it to
the finish for his second straight win of
the 2014 season.
continued on next page
