Marquez is World Champ
Moto GP 2014
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez secured the 2014 MotoGP World Championship title with a second-place finish at Motegi, coming in behind race winner Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha. Lorenzo’s teammate, Valentino Rossi, crossed the line in third. This is Marquez’s second consecutive MotoGP title and he’s now the youngest rider to ever achieve back-to-back championships in the premier class. He’s also the first Spanish rider to win two titles in a row and the first Honda rider to lock-up a GP championship at Motegi, the circuit owned by Honda.
While the results provided plenty of cause for excitement afterward, the race itself was tame in comparison to recent outings at Aragon and Misano. Rossi claimed the front off the start followed by pole-sitter Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati, with Lorenzo and Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone trailing in third and fourth. Marquez’s teammate, Dani Pedrosa, was in fifth while Marquez was left to fight from seventh after getting squeezed back in the ranks in the opening turns. Within the opening rotation Marquez had moved up to fifth, setting his sights on Iannone for fourth.
At the front, Lorenzo got ahead of Dovi for second and then trailed Rossi for a number of laps before making his move to the lead. Rossi attempted to answer back but Lorenzo held his position. Behind, Marquez had dispatched Iannone and was closing up on Dovi for third. The Ducati rider kept the door closed for a handful of laps, but then went slightly wide as the race neared mid-point, allowing Marquez to make a quick, clean pass into podium position. Pedrosa was separated from the lead-pack shuffle by a slight gap in fourth.
Marquez later stated that his objective was to finish ahead of Rossi and Pedrosa in the race, since they were the two riders with the best chance of keeping the title battle alive. Since Pedrosa was unable to overcome the gap and mix it up with the lead group it was left to Rossi to keep Marquez from ending the title chase at Motegi. This resulted in a tense, exciting fight for position with 10 laps to go as Marquez closed in on Rossi and started to push on the Doctor for the runner-up spot. Rossi defended his position, answering Marquez’s initial attempts to pass, but in the following lap he proved unable to hold-off the Honda ace any longer.
Lorenzo had built a decent gap on the field out front, but that was no matter. Marquez kept steady through the remaining laps and secured the championship from second-place with three rounds remaining in the season.
"I am very happy to have sealed this second consecutive World Championship, because although it is difficult to maintain this level, in the end we succeeded,” said Marquez. “Today is the time to enjoy this title. In the race I had a very clear objective, which was to finish ahead of Valentino and Dani ?the other riders did not matter to me so much today. I just had one goal in mind and the important thing is that I was able to achieve it. I want to dedicate this title to all the people who have helped me ?they know who they are? and especially to my family and the team, who are the foundation for all of this."
Pedrosa ended in fourth ahead of Dovi, who slipped back to fifth. Iannone trailed in sixth followed by LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl in seventh and Tech 3 Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro in eighth, Espargaro’s teammate, Bradley Smith, took ninth trailed by Go & Fun Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista in 10th.
The points battle may be over for the title, but it still rages among Rossi, Pedrosa and Lorenzo for second in this year’s championship. After the race in Motegi, Rossi and Pedrosa are tied at 230 points in second and third while Lorenzo is fourth overall at 227.
MotoGP Motegi Results 2014
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Marc Marquez (Honda)
3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
5. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati)
6. Andrea Iannone (Ducati)
7. Stefan Bradl (Honda)
8. Pol Espargaro (Yamaha)
9. Bradley Smith (Yamaha)
10. Alvaro Bautista (Honda)
11. Aleix Espargaro (Forward Yamaha)
12. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha)
13. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda)
14. Nicky Hayden (Honda)
15. Hector Barbera (Ducati)
16. Scott Redding (Honda)
17. Alex De Angelis (Forward Yamaha)
18. Michael Laverty (PBM)
19. Mike Di Meglio (Avintia)
20. Broc Parkes (PBM)
MotoGP Championship Points 2014
1. Marc Marquez, 312
2. Valentino Rossi, 230
3. Dani Pedrosa, 230
4. Jorge Lorenzo, 227
5. Andrea Dovizioso, 153
6. Aleix Espargaro, 117
7. Pol Espargaro, 116
8. Andrea Iannone, 102
9. Stefan Bradl, 96
10. Bradley Smith, 92
While the results provided plenty of cause for excitement afterward, the race itself was tame in comparison to recent outings at Aragon and Misano. Rossi claimed the front off the start followed by pole-sitter Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati, with Lorenzo and Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone trailing in third and fourth. Marquez’s teammate, Dani Pedrosa, was in fifth while Marquez was left to fight from seventh after getting squeezed back in the ranks in the opening turns. Within the opening rotation Marquez had moved up to fifth, setting his sights on Iannone for fourth.
At the front, Lorenzo got ahead of Dovi for second and then trailed Rossi for a number of laps before making his move to the lead. Rossi attempted to answer back but Lorenzo held his position. Behind, Marquez had dispatched Iannone and was closing up on Dovi for third. The Ducati rider kept the door closed for a handful of laps, but then went slightly wide as the race neared mid-point, allowing Marquez to make a quick, clean pass into podium position. Pedrosa was separated from the lead-pack shuffle by a slight gap in fourth.
Marquez later stated that his objective was to finish ahead of Rossi and Pedrosa in the race, since they were the two riders with the best chance of keeping the title battle alive. Since Pedrosa was unable to overcome the gap and mix it up with the lead group it was left to Rossi to keep Marquez from ending the title chase at Motegi. This resulted in a tense, exciting fight for position with 10 laps to go as Marquez closed in on Rossi and started to push on the Doctor for the runner-up spot. Rossi defended his position, answering Marquez’s initial attempts to pass, but in the following lap he proved unable to hold-off the Honda ace any longer.
Lorenzo had built a decent gap on the field out front, but that was no matter. Marquez kept steady through the remaining laps and secured the championship from second-place with three rounds remaining in the season.
"I am very happy to have sealed this second consecutive World Championship, because although it is difficult to maintain this level, in the end we succeeded,” said Marquez. “Today is the time to enjoy this title. In the race I had a very clear objective, which was to finish ahead of Valentino and Dani ?the other riders did not matter to me so much today. I just had one goal in mind and the important thing is that I was able to achieve it. I want to dedicate this title to all the people who have helped me ?they know who they are? and especially to my family and the team, who are the foundation for all of this."
Pedrosa ended in fourth ahead of Dovi, who slipped back to fifth. Iannone trailed in sixth followed by LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl in seventh and Tech 3 Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro in eighth, Espargaro’s teammate, Bradley Smith, took ninth trailed by Go & Fun Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista in 10th.
The points battle may be over for the title, but it still rages among Rossi, Pedrosa and Lorenzo for second in this year’s championship. After the race in Motegi, Rossi and Pedrosa are tied at 230 points in second and third while Lorenzo is fourth overall at 227.
MotoGP Motegi Results 2014
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Marc Marquez (Honda)
3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
5. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati)
6. Andrea Iannone (Ducati)
7. Stefan Bradl (Honda)
8. Pol Espargaro (Yamaha)
9. Bradley Smith (Yamaha)
10. Alvaro Bautista (Honda)
11. Aleix Espargaro (Forward Yamaha)
12. Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha)
13. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda)
14. Nicky Hayden (Honda)
15. Hector Barbera (Ducati)
16. Scott Redding (Honda)
17. Alex De Angelis (Forward Yamaha)
18. Michael Laverty (PBM)
19. Mike Di Meglio (Avintia)
20. Broc Parkes (PBM)
MotoGP Championship Points 2014
1. Marc Marquez, 312
2. Valentino Rossi, 230
3. Dani Pedrosa, 230
4. Jorge Lorenzo, 227
5. Andrea Dovizioso, 153
6. Aleix Espargaro, 117
7. Pol Espargaro, 116
8. Andrea Iannone, 102
9. Stefan Bradl, 96
10. Bradley Smith, 92