Marc Marquez #93 and Dani Pedrosa #26
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) made history in today’s Grand Prix of the Americas outside Austin, Texas, by becoming the youngest-ever winner of a premier-class Grand Prix. The 20-year-old rode a magnificent race to beat team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) by less than two seconds.
The Repsol Honda pair have dominated proceedings since the MotoGP circus arrived at the superb new Circuit of the Americas venue, doing a one-two in practice and qualifying, when Marquez became the youngest rider to score a premier-class pole position.
Marquez has taken both records from another sublimely talented Honda rider, American Freddie Spencer, who achieved his first pole at Jarama, Spain, in May 1982 and his first win at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, in July the same year. On that day Spencer was 20 years and 196 days old. Today Marquez – who achieves such dizzying angles of lean that he scrapes his elbows on the tarmac as a matter of course – is 20 years and 64 days old.
The duo played a tense game of cat and mouse on their RC213Vs throughout the 21 laps, Pedrosa grabbing the lead after Marquez ran wide at the first corner. The positions stayed that way for the first 12 laps, Marquez happy to wait behind his more experienced team-mate. Finally, on lap 13 he dived ahead at Turn Seven. Pedrosa did not give up and was on the new leader’s rear wheel for the next few laps, until he made a mistake on lap 19. That lost him a second, putting him 1.6 seconds down, but still he did not give up, closing the gap to 1.2 seconds as they began the final lap. That was too much of a disadvantage, however, and Pedrosa realised he had to be content with second today. The pair crossed the line 1.534 seconds apart.
Marquez’s historic victory didn’t just rewrite the record books, it also moved the former 125 World Champion and reigning Moto2 World Champion into the joint lead of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship, with reigning champ Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha). Spencer still holds the record for being the youngest premier-class World Champion, but for how much longer?
Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) had a strong ride to fifth on his RCV, making amends for his tumble in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix. The German had a busy first few laps, running second for the first few corners, then battling back and forth with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) who finished behind final podium finisher Lorenzo. Eventually Bradl settled into a lonely fifth position, setting a good pace aboard his RC213V.
Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) had to fight hard for his eighth-place result, first with Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and then with another factory rider, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati). He might have beaten the Italian but for an error at the final corner.
Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) came home 20th aboard his CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike, happy to have scored his first MotoGP finish after sliding off in Qatar. During the race he was able to learn plenty from other more experienced riders that will help him improve in the future.
Nicolas Terol (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter) scored a runaway maiden Moto2 victory today, the former 125 World Champion taking the lead in the early stages and never relinquishing it.
Some way behind him a thrilling three-way contest developed for second place. Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex) won the battle, coming from ninth on the first lap to grab the runner-up spot at the final corner where Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) made a mistake. Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert Suter) crossed the line just behind Kallio after making contact with the Finn a few corners from the finish and almost falling.
Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) started from pole for the first time in his career and led the race until Terol assumed control. The lanky Briton lacked top speed against his rivals and lost several positions on COTA’s back straight, the longest in MotoGP. He eventually crossed the line all alone in fifth position. The result, following his second-place finish in Qatar, puts him in the World Championship lead for the first time.
Johann Zarco (Came Ioda Racing Project Suter) came through strongly to finish sixth, beating Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team Speed Up) on the final lap. Mattia Pasini (NGM Mobile Racing Speed Up), Alex De Angelis ((NGM Mobile Forward Racing Speed Up) and Toni Elias (Blusens Avintia Kalex) completed the top ten.
Qatar winner Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP40 Pons Kalex) crashed out as he charged through the pack after starting from the third row.
The Moto3 race was stopped and restarted after Jasper Iwema (KTM) crashed heavily and was knocked unconscious. The Dutch rider was concussed and bruised in the accident, but is otherwise okay.
The five-lap restart was won by Alex Rins who had dominated the original race. He came out on top of a final-corner duel with Luis Salom, who was passed on the run to the line by Maverick Vinales. All three rode KTMs.
Jack Miller (Caretta Technology – RTG FTR Honda) rode a brilliant race to finish sixth and top Honda, just a few tenths off fifth place. The young Australian made up in the corners what he lost on the straights to finish 8.6 seconds behind the winner.
After a terrible start in the first race, Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold FTR Honda) was grateful for the restart, in which he got away much faster and worked his way through the pack to finish eighth.
Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) crossed the line ninth, just two tenths behind Masbou. The South African now heads to next month’s Spanish Grand Prix as the top-placed Honda in the World Championship.
Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) finished 11th, with Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR Honda) ending up 13th.
The MotoGP World Championship now returns to its European heartland for the first of a series of six races on the Continent, commencing with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez on May 5.
Terbaik … 😀 … cecah siku blum pernah try lagi nii..