MOTOGP
2015 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 18 / NOVEMBER 8, 2015
RICARDO TORMO CIRCUIT / VALENCIA, SPAIN
P54
All the controversy meant that
the rest of the race was some-
thing of a sideshow.
Pol Espargaro was fifth, three
seconds ahead of teammate
Smith, who stole sixth from
Dovizioso on the last lap. Aleix
Espargaro had lost touch, five
seconds away in eighth.
Cal Crutchlow' LCR Honda
was ninth after a blazing ride.
He'd lost a cylinder on the sight-
ing laps, had to swap bikes,
completed the warm-up behind
the pace car, and started from
the back.
Petrucci was 10th, only nar-
rowly ahead of Maverick Vinales
on the Ecstar Suzuki, who had
Lorenzo there).
The situation had become
worse and worse, he continued.
"I knew already my champion-
ship was finished before this
race, because Marquez would
finish his work.
I think this race was quite em-
barrassing. I was ready to lose
the championship to Jorge, but
this way is not fair."
Marquez of course denied
it. You choose who to believe.
Either way, he would probably
have been fourth even if he had
started from the first or second
row. And as long as Lorenzo had
won, he needed to be second to
outscore him.
Fourth would have been
enough to retain the points lead
he held all season long, but only
if both Hondas finished ahead of
Lorenzo.
"I knew already my chances
were small," he said, in a long an
impassioned (although outwardly
good-humored) post-race brief-
ing. "It was a great season. The
championship had the potential
to be one of the best. But in the
last three races something hap-
pened that nobody expected.
Marquez decided to protect
Lorenzo. The problems started
at Phillip Island," (an assertion
that still raises doubts, consid-
ering that Marquez had beaten
Lorenzo had his buddies dress up in his previous four title winning race outfits in celebration of his fifth crown.
