MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 2 / APRIL 6-8, 2018
TERMAS DE RÍO HONDO / SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
P72
track, and earning him a "drop one place"
penalty. But it barely slowed his progress,
and as they finished lap 20 he was ready
to pass Rossi.
He did it in a crazy inside lunge at the
slow penultimate corner, colliding with the
Yamaha, and both running wide. Marquez
stayed on the asphalt, Rossi went onto the
wet grass, and crashed, by then almost
stationary.
Cue scandal. This one will run and run.
Cue also frantic action for race di-
rection. They hit Marquez with another
ride-through, but with the race now over
it became a 30-second penalty, dropping
him out of the points.
Miller dropped to the back of the group,
his tire grip now shot.
From there it was three, with Zarco lead-
ing for three laps, but Crutchlow in control.
The factory Movistar Yamahas, hav-
ing a difficult weekend, had been moving
forward gradually, with Maverick Vinales
ahead of Rossi on lap eight as both of
them passed Iannone's Suzuki. Vinales
was also ahead of Ducati's Andrea Dovizio-
so in fifth on lap 14, with Rossi following
him past next time around.
But all eyes were on Marquez, fastest on
the track, as he forged through.
His overtake on Aleix Espargaro was
brutal, almost punting the Aprilia off the
