Marquez crashes out of lead handing win to Vinales

Maverick Vinales leads
Maverick Vinales leads

MotoGP has a tendency to keep making history of late, and the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina was no different – as Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) became the first Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey in 1990 to win the first two races of the year, taking a stunning win as drama hit the grid behind. Teammate Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) created another miracle in P2, with LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow completing the podium in style as top Independent Team rider.

It was reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) who leapt into the lead from pole, with Rossi another electric starter from seventh on the grid. In the rush for Turn 1, it was Marquez leading Crutchlow as the pack shuffled behind, with the reigning Champion then making a stunning break for it as the Brit backed up the chasing Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pairing of Vinales and Rossi.

Vinales soon attacked Crutchlow to take P2, before the first of the high drama hit up ahead and Marquez suddenly hit the floor at Turn 2 – having been almost two seconds clear.

That left Vinales in P1, with Crutchlow and Rossi on the chase and the gap holding steady just above half a second – before the man of the moment began to pull away. The ‘Doctor’ was left to hunt down Crutchlow, with the two holding station until Rossi struck with 7 laps to go, getting past the Brit in style at Turn 5 and pulling away for a second consecutive podium – in his 350th World Championship start.

There was all-out war for P4 as Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) battled to get past Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing), with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) getting in the mix. After a short and spectacular duel between Pedrosa and Zarco, the Spaniard broke free to set the fastest lap – before disaster struck for the ‘Baby Samurai’ as he crashed out of the race in the same place as teammate Marquez had done a handful of laps earlier.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Even then, the drama wasn’t done as ‘DesmoDovi’ went wide at Turn 5 soon after, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) taking the inside line and then losing the front – sliding helplessly into the Italian and both out the race.

Behind and including Crutchlow, it was another fantastic day for the Independent Teams as the dust settled, with Bautista taking fourth and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Zarco and Jonas Folger taking fifth and sixth. Petrucci, after running out of rear grip, crossed the line in a solid P7 – ahead of a good fight back from his teammate Scott Redding at the head of the next group.

Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) enjoyed another top ten result in ninth behind Redding, with front row starter Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) completing the top ten only tenths ahead of Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) after the Frenchman was forced wide early on.

Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was P12 in front of Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing), with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pairing Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith incredibly close to the two men ahead in P14 and P15 respectively. The Austrian manufacturer is now a points scorer with both riders, opening their account early in only round two.

After a great start from a difficult grid position, it was disaster for Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo on the first lap as the five-time World Champion crashed out early after contact with old nemesis Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – the ‘Spartan’ thankfully escaping unhurt, and Iannone continuing. The ‘Maniac’ was also given a ride through penalty soon after for a jump start, dropping him down the order and out of contention to cross the line as the final finisher.

Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 25 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 41'45.060
2 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 20 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 2.915
3 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 16 LCR Honda Honda 3.754
4 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 13 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 6.523
5 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 11 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 15.504
6 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER 10 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 18.241
7 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 9 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 20.046
8 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 8 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 25.480
9 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 7 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 25.665
10 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 6 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 26.403
11 BAZ Loris 76 FRA 5 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 26.952
12 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 4 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 41.875
13 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 3 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 42.770
14 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 43.085
15 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 43.452
16 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 46.219
17 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 0 Ducati Team Ducati 11 laps
18 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 11 laps
19 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 0 Repsol Honda Team Honda 12 laps
20 LOWES Sam 22 GBR 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 14 laps
21 RINS Alex 42 SPA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 14 laps
22 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 0 Repsol Honda Team Honda 22 laps
23 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 0 Ducati Team Ducati

Rider Standings

Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Constructor
1 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 50 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha
2 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 36 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha
3 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 20 Ducati Team Ducati
4 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 17 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati
5 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 16 LCR Honda Honda
6 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER 16 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
7 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 15 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda
8 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 13 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati
9 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 13 Repsol Honda Team Honda
10 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 11 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
11 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 11 Repsol Honda Team Honda
12 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 10 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia
13 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 9 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati
14 BAZ Loris 76 FRA 9 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati
15 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 8 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati
16 RINS Alex 42 SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki
17 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 6 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati
18 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 5 Ducati Team Ducati
19 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 5 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda
20 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
21 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM