Brno, Czech Republic: MotoGP Post-Race Report
Jorge Lorenzo has done it again! The Spanish MotoGP rider took an amazing victory in front of a crowd of 140,000 people in the Czech Republic at the Brno circuit. The Spanish rider was on a mission from the start of the race and managed to clear out his rivals by using his smooth rhythm to take home a fifth victory of the season. Lorenzo is also the new Championship leader on equal points with Valentino Rossi as he has had more wins than the Italian stallion! The excitement on Jorge’s face was clear as daylight. His weekend was, as some would describe perfect. Yamaha also managed to double up on their points and the podium with Rossi finishing third whilst reigning Champion Marc Marquez took second place. Marc pushed to the limit and tried to stay with Jorge but admitted that after six laps the performance of the Repsol was not close enough to the Yamaha. Second position is a solid result for Marc who started off the season with very mixed feelings. Rossi on the other hand, was not satisfied with losing his Championship lead and coming third. Rossi’s rhythm was slow off the mark and his start was not great. Rossi is definitely concerned about the power of his fellow teammate Lorenzo after catching up so ferociously to the nine times World Champion.
The race did not go as planned for Cal Crutchlow and Maverick Vinales who were in the top ten. Both riders crashed out and left their teams feeling dissatisfied after performing so well throughout the event. It will be a redemption ride at Silverstone for both the Suzuki and Honda riders. Alternatively, it was a solid ride for Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Iannone who finished fourth and fifth at the Brno GP. The Ducati’s performed better than expected and their straight-line speed carried them over the line. These positive results enable the riders and team members to push harder because a podium position is possible. The same happiness can be said for Forward Racing who arrived at the Brno circuit feeling confident about their return to the sport. Loris Baz brought home a victory for the Yamaha team by being the top open class rider for the weekend. This will boost the moral of the team and hopefully Forward Racing can survive the rest of the season. Right now they have enough financial stability for the next two races. Fingers crossed a rabbit is pulled out of the hat to help!
In Moto2 and Moto3, Johann Zarco and Niccolo Antonelli won their events. It was the first ever race victory for the Italian rider Niccolo Antonelli who rides for the Ongetta Rivacold Racing Team. Niccolo is also part of the VR46 Academy and is the protégé of Valentino Rossi. Zarco and Antonelli were exceptional in their approach to the start of the race and continued a smooth pace to stay ahead of the rest. Antonelli was especially strong after a first lap incident took place where Gabriel Rodrigo was taken away to the medical centre and hospital for CAT scans and further observation. He was unconscious for two minutes after suffering a nasty crash with four riders. Moments like these showcase how brave the riders are in every category going out to race for fans of the sport, their teams, families, friends and themselves. Overall, the Brno event was sensational from start to finish with the event being re-signed again for the future. We look forward to the next event in the United Kingdom on the 30th August.
