We are in the northeast corner of Spain. Auto racing has happened in this part of Spain since the 1960s. The racing has been for motorcycles since 2010. So, we're ready for the Grand Prix of Aragon.
It is foggy, and will be the 800th MotoGP race, ever. Marc Marquez has his eleventh pole of 2014. The Yamaha's are sixth and seventh with grip issues. The Ducati's are the evo chassis bikes. Andrea Ianonne will start from the front row. Rain might be in the cards, and it is cool outside. Tires will be a big deal. Soft tires will be needed by Yamaha for race pace, and Ducati uses them because they are Open class bikes.
We're going to see lots of tire degradation throughout the race. Hopefully, no tire changes will be necessary. The 800th race is at a relatively new venue. It was supposed to be a temporary venue, but it became permanent. 17 turns on this track, with a long straight. 23 laps scheduled. It's still dry, but rain, could come. This is the 800th MotoGP race. Valentino Rossi has the longest winning record in MotoGP, taking the record away from his buddy, and fellow Italian, Loris Capirossi.
Yamaha has not won at Motorland Aragon. Jack Miller will step right up to MotoGP from Moto 3 next year. He will skip Moto 2 completely, running an Open class bike. Alex de Angelis is recovering from a wrist injury. Mike Dimeglio also had hand surgery. Nicky Hayden is back. Avintia will race Ducati's, starting now. Today is the day. Hector Barbera crashed in practice. Alvaro Bautista will race with Aprilia. Suzuki is coming, and so is KTM, in 2017.
Let's review how qualifying went. It was a dramatic session for the 800th race since the world championship was formed in 1949. Valentino Rossi ran well, and so did Hector Barbera on his new Ducati. Marc Marquez was quickest in Q2 until Dani Pedrosa went to pole. Andrea Dovizioso qualified ninth. Jorge Lorenzo will be only seventh. Pol Espargaro is the leading Yamaha. Andrea Ianonne is third.
The modified Ducati is narrower and easier to set up. Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez will start 1-2. If Marquez wins today, he could tie Mick Doohan's record of 12 wins in a season. Doohan set that record in 1997. This will be a dry race, fortunately. We're ready to go in Aragon. The morning warmup was delayed. There's still a threat of rain. Marquez could win the world championship at the next race in Japan.
Here we go. 23 laps. Go! At the start, Pedrosa leads as Marc Marquez falls behind. Inaonne passes, and Jorge Lorenzo is up there. Marc Marquez grabs second. Andrea Ianonne leads on the Ducati, and here comes Lorenzop at the top of the circuit into the Aragon Corkscrew. Down through turns eleven and twelve. There's some damp space on the road. Andrea Ianonne leads with Marquez second, and Pol Espargaro third.
Fourth. Check that. Pedrosa is third. Marc Marquez comes through and tries to pass Ianonne. Here comes Lorenzo, too. He's coming. What a start! These guys are flying. This is a real humdinger into turns eight and nine, through The Aragon Corkscrew again. Oh! Ianonne slides off the road and ditches the bike! The bike tumbles! But, Ianonne will be OK. However, it's game over for the evolution Ducati of Ianonne. Andrea Dovizioso is still in this race.
Karel Abraham is also a retirement. Game over. Valentino Rossi runs wide in turn one and Pol Espargaro can't pass. Dani Pedrosa is chasing Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi is behind Pedrosa, who set fast lap. Valentino Rossi stays in there. It's factory Honda vs. factory Yamaha. Some of the other Ducati's are running well, including Hector Barbera on his new Ducati. Valentino Rossi is all over the rear wheel of Pedrosa.
They fly at 210 miles an hour down the back straight. Another lap done and dusted as Marquez sets fast lap. Not sure of the time. Pedrosa is all over Lorenzo like a rash. Valentino Rossi has crashed! He got tangled up with the bike. Will he be OK? Pedrosa moves across, and Rossi runs out of road, crashing. Pedrosa is right behind Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi seems to be alright. Hold third gear through the final corner, and shift up to fourth down the straight. Rossi will be fine. But, he can't be happy.
Jorge Lorenzo wants a win. But, Marc Marquez seems to have the advantage at the moment. Andrea Dovizioso is pushing Pol Espargaro. The grass and the astro turf are both very wet and that is what caught Rossi out, and Ianonne as well. Marc Marquez still leads Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez is whistling off into the distance. But, Jorge Lorenzo is going for it. Marc Marquez hops between bikes and some of the other guys have started to do it.
This might happen, if there's rain, and the spare bikes are needed. But, the rain threat is dissipating. Marquez is running in the 1:48 range. We have 17 laps, now 16 laps left. Stefan Bradl runs sixth. Pedrosa runs his best lap. He's 7/10ths of a second behind Marquez. Rossi is OK and is in the medical center getting checked out. Jorge Lorenzo is fed up with finishing second. He wants to win. But, will he beat Marquez?
Last year, Lorenzo led until half distance, and let Marquez pass. This year, maybe he's got other plans. Pol Espargaro is losing places and Cal Crutchlow passes. Alvaro Bautista is there, too. Can Pol Espargaro pass Crutchlow? Yes. Pol's brother Aleix Espargaro is alsop up there. Pol Espargaro ran deep. But, on lap nine, Lorenzo takes the lead from Marquez on lap nine. Two laps to halfway. Lorenzo wants his first win this year.
Lorenzo and Yamaha have never won at Aragon. Here they come onto the back straight that is a kilometer long. They brake for turn sixteen. The gap is a tenth of a second or so. Lorenzo is still flying. Yamaha has never had the pace of the Repsol Honda's this weekend. Did Jorge Lorenzo find something in the morning warmup? Lorenzo is running softer tires. The temperatures are hotter today, but there's no rain.
Marquez is running faster than Lorenzo right now. We're at halfway in this race now. Can Lorenzo become the fourth winner of 2014? Hmmm. Marquez wants this though. He's pushing. He wants by Lorenzo. Honda have won three of four races here at Aragon. Yamaha has not won. Can Marquez have a go at Lorenzo this time? Not now. The two riders are running two different lines. Alvaro Bautista passes Cal Crutchlow, as Marc Marquez gors back to the lead. Dani Pedrosa still runs third.
The crowd is going nuts. Pol Espargaro has passed Stefan Bradl for fifth. Turn one is a difficult overtaking spot on this track. Pedrosa is pressing Lorenzo. Rain is coming, too. Will they change to spare bikes? Maybe. The rain is falling, just spritzing a little bit. The white flag is being shown for slippery conditions even though this was declared a dry race before it began. Riders can now swap bikes. The spare bikes are warmed up and ready to go.
Will the rain stay away? Stefan Bradl hangs on to sixth. Pol Espargaro is fifth, as there are others in the bottom half of the top ten, looking for positions. Jorge Lorenzo is back in the lead. No he isn't. Marquez gets him back at 210 miles an hour. Lorenzo is not giving up. Lorenzo closes up, tries to make the pass, runs wide, and Marquez slides by again. Wow. Dani Pedrosa has a grandstand seat in third spot.
Lorenzo is back up to snuff. Hola Jorge. No. Adios Jorge. Marquez closes up, and runs wide. The drizzle is getting heavier. Watch out for white lines and curbs if it gets wet. How heavy is the rain? Eight laps left, chaps. Marquez closes on Lorenzo again. Marquez passes for P1. Dani Pedrosa is now into second. A Repsol Honda 1-2. Pedrosa wants to go after Marquez, too. Stefan Bradl has dropped to tenth. This is amazing stuff.
Lorenzo wants by Pedrosa. Dani Pedrosa won't let him. Pedrosa is a three-time World Champion. Bridgestone said the main wet tire was the soft tire. But, the teams will need a harder tire. Dani Pedrosa passes, but no. Marquez is back. Now, it's both of them fighting each other. Marquez is back, now it's Pedrosa! Side-by-side! It's close. Not quite close enough for Lorenzo! Six laps left. This is a wild one!
The former MotoGP champions since 1949, would LOVE to see this race! It's starting to really rain now. Only the riders can make the decision about switching to the spare bikes. Stick close and don't make a stupid mistake. Aleix Espargaro goes to get his spare bike in the pit lane. Wet tires on the spare bike. The rain has started and is bucketing down. There are lots of bikes coming in and there will be some changes. Alex de Angelis almost lost his second motorcycle in pit lane. But, the mechanics caught it.
The rain is bucketing down now. Watch out. Where do you brake at the end of the back straight? Come in to the pits now. Nope. They stay out! Yoohoo? Repsol Honda? What's up? These guys are the best of the best. If they are comfortable going faster on slicks, they'll do it. Bautista, Smith, and Bradl, all in pit lane. These guys can make a lot better decisions than a blogger typing frantically on his laptop. These blokes are going to get on with it. Dovizioso and Hernandez have both crashed!
Ugh! Jorge Lorenzo will switch to his spare bike with wet tires. Marquez is going to press on and risk it! Four laps remaining. There's lots of rain. Oh no! Pedrosa is down! Lorenzo switches to the wet weather bike. Can Pedrosa get his second bike? Pedrosa loses the front end and he gets thrown right off the bike! Just like in the old 500cc days. Marquez has to pit. Has he left it too late? Has Lorenzo left it too late? He's slowing down.
The top end of the track is soaked. Marquez has to come in. What has Lorenzo got left in the locker with wet tires? Watch Marquez. He's pitting. If he doesn't come in, he's going to lose! He's carrying on! Say what?! Marquez crashes out! Oh my gosh! Jorge Lorenzo is going to win this race! It will be the second win for Yamaha in two races! Marquez gets back on the bike. But, he's toast now. Jorge Lorenzo could win for Yamaha. Hernandez and Pedrosa change to their spare bikes.
But, Pedrosa is way down the order now. If you blink in this race, you're going to nfall. Marquez's bike is trashed. He's still on slick tires. Cal Crutchlow could get a podium on his Ducati. He's the last Ducati standing. But, the Ducati is a proven wet weather bike. Marc Marquez is going to struggle to get points. Hhe's into the pits, switching to his spare bike. He should have done that earlier. He's toast. Lorenzo could still win this thing.
Two laps to go. Nope. It's the final lap. It's almost over, folks. Almost. Jorge Lorenzo is going to win his first MotoGP race of 2014. Aleix Espargaro is going to score his first ever MotoGP podium. Will it be Cal Crutchlow or Stefan Bradl finishing third? Next year, Crutchlow replaces Bradl at LCR Honda. This will be Yamaha's first win at Aragon, and their second straight win. Pol Espargaro has passed Bradley Smith. What a race this has been, folks.
Two turns left for the two-time 500cc champ. Crutchlow has caught Espargaro. Jorge Lorenzo wins in Aragon, Spain! Who gets second? Aleix Espargaro by 17 thousandths of a second! Who will be fifth? Smith! Wow! What a sizzling race this was! Holy smokes!
#99 Jorge Lorenzo ESP. Yamaha
Aragon, is the final race in Europe until the last race of the season, also in Spain, at Valencia. The next three races go to Asia and Australia. The next event is in Motegi, Japan, at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit, and will take place in two weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment