Marc Marquez 9 from 9 at the German Grand Prix
The German Grand Prix is the Marc Marquez kingdom and a place where he excels whilst others succumb to tyre wear. You have to sit back and admire Marquez from all angles especially when he utilises the technology available to him and knowledge to attack when the time is right. The Honda rider knows that he is capable of winning races even when the odds are stacked for and against him. The race was career defining for Marquez who showcased a fast pace and cemented his “King Of The Ring” status. In our view, MM93 is redefining how a motorcycle is ridden at the premier level. Marquez: “I expected the race to have different phases, with the first tyre drop happening after around nine laps and a final one seven to five laps from the end. I was prepared to manage the different situations, but in the beginning it wasn’t easy because my start wasn’t perfect. I expected that Lorenzo might pass me but not Petrucci. I lost two positions and then overtaking them wasn’t easy. When I did it, I started to push in order to pull a gap but without being ‘crazy’ so that I could manage the tyre consumption until the end of the race. But then they signalled me that Valentino was closing in very fast, and when I saw 0.6 in the board I understood that I had to push again and completely use my tyres for two or three laps, so I did my fastest lap of the race. I was able to open a gap again and then manage it. Then, when I was celebrating I saw a marshal with a No. 26 cap, so I took it and went to celebrate in front of the fans because I think this weekend Dani was the protagonist, and we’ll miss him. We and Honda are working very well and we need to continue like this in the second part of the Championship with the same feeling we’ve had so far.” He is a modern day MotoGP god and an inspiration to so many people from across the globe.
In amongst the praise for Marquez we witnessed frustration amongst other riders including Aleix Espargaro, Andrea Dovizioso, Johann Zarco, Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller. The combination of crashes, injury and a lack of performance are pushing these riders mentally and physically every day. If you look at DesmoDovi, it is quite surprising to see the Italian rider who was a superstar last year turn towards a place of constant negativity. Dovi needs to ride smoothly and feel 100% in order to bring home the top results and in Germany, he was not able to achieve either of these qualities. Dovi: “Until half-way through the race I was lapping with the same times as the leaders, but then the rear tyre dropped off and I was no longer able to ride in a smooth way and make the bike flow through the middle of the corners. Pity, but we’ll also take stock of this experience to get a better idea of which direction to follow.” It is also incredibly difficult for Dovi to stomach Lorenzo outperforming him and winning races when his teammate is departing the Italian factory for Honda in 2019. A similar scenario applies to Johann Zarco who is eating up spoon fools of negative pie. He is not the same rider that shook up MotoGP and in fact he is struggling to even be fast which is sad to see. He appears bitter and confused from an outside perspective looking at his performance and body language. Zarco: “I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t see the podium as my pace is just not good enough to be there. Together with my crew we work hard, but we didn’t find the right solution this weekend to be stronger. That’s the hardest task, that I hope we can solve after the summer break in order to have a better feeling and be fast again. Maybe we can find the way to set the bike up better. I cross my fingers for the second half of the season to find the pace for the podium again.” Will Zarco be able to shake off the bad energy and regain confidence to allow him to fight? That is a question we are all waiting for an answer to.
In contrast, Valentino Rossi is doing a beautiful job to attack Marquez and put forward two hands on a potential 10th World Championship. Rossi: “I‘m so happy because I did a fantastic race from the beginning, I never made a mistake. Last week, I re-watched the race from last year and I said to myself “Folger was good with the Yamaha, so we have to do the same!” In the end I got the same position as he did, so I‘m happy and it‘s a great way to start the holiday.” As the summer break arrives, the second half of the season can be superb, heart breaking and a ride for redemption. Rossi is totally ready for some training in amongst laying on the beach and eating some pizza! The Doctor will enjoy his time off to regroup and continue his goals of reaching the podium at every event. Rossi is “Mr Consistency” in 2018 and very intelligent so much so he studied Folger’s race from 2017 which allowed him to secure the best result of the season. Rossi: “Folger last year did an incredible race, at the level of Marc, he stayed there and he fought. I studied his race and all his lines, the way he rides and which way he set up the bike and I think it was a good help, so I have to give him the trophy.” What an incredible athlete and strategist! The season is long and Rossi has already asked his Japanese manufacturer to bring updates to allow his bike to compete with the Ducati and Honda when it comes to acceleration in and out of the corners. This will determine how often the Italian stallion will be able to battle at the front.
Overall, it was an emotional weekend for Aleix Espargaro who ended up with thoracic injury and unable to race after a crash in warm up. He will be monitored in hospital for a few days. The same can be said for Pedrosa who is retiring at the end of the year. We have to say thank you to Pedrosa for a solid career and racing with his heart on his sleeve. It was a tearjerking moment to hear the Repsol Honda rider make the decision to end his time in MotoGP. Regardless, he will continue to give it his all. The same can be said for Jorge Lorenzo who led for numerous laps and then succumbed to the tyre gamble not paying off. The soft rubber shredded away and JL99 decided to take points than push. A smart decision especially since he finished ahead of DesmoDovi. Time to rest and relax before a trip to the Czech Republic Brno MotoGP!
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