MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 3 / APRIL 22-23, 2017
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS
P68
first corner at the start of lap
seven, and now Luthi was able
to concentrate on a chase full of
tension. The Swiss rider sur-
prised himself as he closed to
within just over half a second of
Morbidelli at half distance, and
the gap see-sawed over the next
couple of laps. But by the end
Morbidelli had pulled clear by
better than 2.5 seconds.
By half-distance also Takaaki
ever, and when Marquez (who
turned 21 today) ran wide in the
hard braking for the hairpin be-
fore the long straight, Morbidelli
swept through to the front again.
Marquez, who had qualified
third, dropped to fourth, with
second qualifier Mattia Pasini
(Italtrans Kalex) and Thomas Lu-
thi (CarXpert Kalex) now chasing
Morbidelli.
Pasini would slide off at the
MOTO 2
Franco Morbidelli made it three
in a row for himself and the Marc
VDS team, in an assured style
that is becoming increasingly
familiar.
The 22-year-old Roman started
from pole position and led the
first lap, only for his VDS-Kalex
teammate Alex Marquez to push
past for the next two. All Mor-
bidelli had to do was wait, how-
Franco Morbidelli
continues to roll in
Moto2, capturing
his third win in as
many races.
