MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHP
ROUND 10 / AUGUST 4-6, 2017
BRNO CIRCUIT / OSTROVACICE, CZECH REPUBLIC
P56
behind him, until finally on lap 16
Crutchlow managed to get by, say-
ing later, "It's very hard to pass the
Ducati in a straight line."
By then, however, Vinales was
"getting a better feeling after the
tires got warm," and was ahead of
both of them, to escape for third.
It marked a return to early-season
form. "Maybe I changed one lap
too late, but I am happy to recover
my feeling and confidence," he
said. He set fastest lap on the 17th
of 22.
Rossi was also closing, making
up for his poor decision and late
bike change.
By lap seven, when everyone
was sorted out, Marquez was
almost 20 seconds clear, and Aleix
Espargaro had taken second from
Scott Redding with Karel Abraham
fourth and Dani Pedrosa catching
up fast behind.
You can see where this is go-
ing. Pedrosa was rapidly up to
second, while Danilo Petrucci and
Cal Crutchlow were soon to follow
him through. Movistar Yamaha
teammates Maverick Vinales and
Rossi were at this point 10th and
13th, but also setting about moving
forward.
If a capacity crowd was denied
a close battle for the lead, they did
at least see plenty of overtaking
as the usual order re-established
itself.
Nobody could catch Pedrosa,
with Petrucci acting as a buffer
(Right) Dani Pedrosa leads the merry
men out of the pits. He was too late
to be a factor for Marquez. (Below)
Aleix Espargaro had to drop three
places after an in-pit collision with
Andrea Iannone.
