Jorge Lorenzo's objective, is to beat his team mate, Valentino Rossi. This, is Rossi's house. From the Circuit Marco Simoncelli, we are ready to race in front of a record crowd. Go! At the start, Jorge Lorenzo leads into turn one. Marc Marquez is second. Bradley Smith and Dani Pedrosa have also had a good start. Jorge Lorenzo launches off the starting blocks. Bradley Smith falls behind Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Ianonne. Dani Pedrosa tries the inside around Valentino Rossi, coming through the Curvone corner.
Jorge Lorenzo is going for it, and Marc Marquez is only 6/10ths of a second behind. If there is a flag to flag situation and the weather changes, riders can change to their spare bikes with wet tires. Michele Pirro is on his wet setup bike, as the dry bike, was having issues. Jorge Lorenzo stretches his lead at the end of lap two. Michele Pirro qualified well, even though he is only the test rider for Ducati. Lorenzo and Marquez are a half a second apart. The rain is actually easing up right now, as Marc Marquez is still pushing Jorge Lorenzo.
Marquez closes the gap under 3/10ths of a second. Valentino Rossi is also close. Rossi sets fast lap at 1:33.894. Game on. This could be the race of the year, folks. They fly through turn seven. Dani Pedrosa is fourth, into the double right hander of turns nine and ten. Michele Pirro, will have to keep his current bike. His spare motorcycle, has a wiring problem. Pirro is shredding his rear rain tire. Scott Redding is up to eighth taking the spot from Aleix Espargaro. Fast lap for Lorenzo at 1:33.273. Now, the rain is getting heavier once more.
These blokes are flat out, and it's raining, into the Curvone corner. Keep the heat in the tires. Push, push, push. A marshal waves the rain flag. A white flag, with a red cross, on it. Jorge Lorenzo's pit crew prepped his spare bike, and the top three are into the pits. Dani Pedrosa has crashed, as it's the seventh lap of the race. The riders are changing to their wet weather bikes. Rossi was desperate to get onto the track, and he almost lost the bike exiting pit lane! He has to find a way by Michele Pirro.
It has started to rain. If these guys have switched to their wet bike, it's a good thing. Andrea Dovizioso leads along with Bradley Smith and Cal Crutchlow. But, the three of them, need rain tires, now. They have to swap to their spare bikes. The teams have fired up the spare motorcycles. Marc Marquez is now into the lead. Bradley Smith has stayed out. There is some lighter sky. Smith is running in the two minute bracket. The rain is getting worse going into turn eight.
Can Rossi repeat his win from Silverstone, two weeks ago? That race was also in the rain. This track has a new surface. So, there is an unknown quantity these blokes are dealing with. Rossi has dropped his pace a little bit. Marquez, Lorenzo, Rossi, and Danilo Petrucci are the top four. Other riders are also having good rides so far. Marquez runs wide at turn eight, and Jorge Lorenzo gets the lead back. Marquez was just stretching his lead, and he gor in a bit hot. It is back to a light drizzle. Conditions are all over the place.
Ouch! There has been a fall. Yonny Hernandez and Alex de Angelis have both crashed into turn six. That's a fast crash, even in the rain. Marc Marquez is catching the Yamaha's. Check that. Rossi is close. Yonny Hernandez crashed, and Alex de Angelis, was an innocent victim with no place to go. Is Valentino Rossi a weather man? He knows what's going on here. It was totally dry at the end of the Moto 2 race. But now, it's wet. It's coming down, again! All the time! This is crazy! Valentino Rossi is pushing. We're only ten laps into the race.
There's no rain in the pits. Rossi is closing, fast. He is right near Lorenzo and Marquez. Everyone in the crowd is going berserk, urging on Rossi. Rossi is the rainmeister here. Lorenzo and Marquez are pulling a gap out on Rossi, but Rossi is within striking distance. He's pouring on the steam. Sixteen laps remain now. Two laps to halfway. Can Rossi make a move? Rain falls into turn eight. Down the back straight, into the massively quick turn eleven. No dry line. But, it's not raining in the pits or down the main straight.
Will the riders have to make a second pit stop for their primary bikes? Yes. The two Yamah's are set up, for the dry, and they'll be getting back to the primary bikes. We are halfway into this event. Claudio Corti has switched from wets to slick tires. Loris Baz has followed suit and gone onto slicks. This has not happened before, that your struly can remember. Marc Marquez goes inside Lorenzo. Rossi passes Marquez, up to second. Rossi tries to get up the inside, but no. Lorenzo leads. Did Marc Marquez miss a shift?
They go around for another lap on wet tires. Fourteen laps done. Fourteen left to run. The pits are busy. Marc Marquez's bike still has the tire warmers on. Yamaha is first in pitting order. Scott Redding is pitting for the spare bike, and so are a fw of the other riders. What will Lorenzo do? No pit stops. These boys are playing the waiting game. It's ultimately a rider's decision. They are running decent lap times. In a couple more laps, these boys, might get into the pits. There are only twelve laps left now.
As the track dries, the wet weather tires will turn to jelly and become useless. Pol Espargaro is falling behind. Bradley Smith is having tire trouble, but now, there's more drizzle, too. The track is already damp. Valentino Rossi takes the lead from Lorenzo and Lorenzo tries to fight back, but no. The fans cheering, drown out the sound of the monstrous engines of these motorcycles. Rossi is now pulling away from Lorenzo. Are they going to come in? A theory with the wet tire, is, get rid of the profile of the tire, and make it a semi-slick, to make the performance improve.
Loris Baz is back out on the road, with slick tires. He is much faster. Loris Baz is booking it right now. Baz has the softer option tire on the rear. Lorenzo is being told to come in on the next lap. Roll the dice. Riders are headed for the lane. Marc Marquez pitted for his dry setup bike. Valentino Rossi's front Bridgestone tire, has been shredded. Rossi needs to be clear of Lorenzo. He is building a lead over Lorenzo. Lorenzo will wait. Marquez is out on slicks. The lap times indicate you should come in. Danilo Petrucci also pits.
Valentino Rossi is running away from Lorenzo. We see Andrea Dovizioso pit. Bradley Smith is flying, and is up to seventh. Rossi wants to come in, but he does not want to risk being overtaken. Will he change to his spare bike? They cannot carry on on the wets on a drying speedway. Lorenzo is in now. I've got to go for it. He swaps back to the slick tired motorcycle, and they have switched to the medium front tire. Valentino Rossi just has to come in. Dani Pedrosa switches as well. Has Valentino Rossi left it too late? Bradley Smith is now into second.
Rossi is giving up too much time. Box, box, box. He has to come in. Through Curvone, he knows that the tires are shredding. Rossi finally pits. Is it one lap too late? Rossi in, and switches to his other bike. Marc Marquez now leads. Oh no! Jorge Lorenzo has crashed! He's crashed out of the Grand Premio Riviera de Rimini! He has a huge wreck out of turn 15! Where will Rossi be now? Marc Marquez could win, and Bradley Smith and Loris Baz, could finish second and third! This could be the moment of the world championship! Bradley Smith is second behind Marc Marquez, and Loris Baz is on the podium!
He has had podium places in World Superbike before. Scott Redding is up to fourth. But, it's game over for Lorenzo. Rossi is vindicated, as Lorenzo was on slicks, when he crashed. His world championship hopes are hanging by a thread. Calm down now, Marc Marquez. Keep focused to try to win this. Lorenzo wiggled and got pitched off the bike, and he rolls through the gravel. Yamaha management, are beside themselves, as far as Lorenzo. Rossi is still in the race.
Bradley Smith stayed out for a long time on slicks. Scott Redding is closing on Loris Baz. Redding crashed earlier on, and now, he's back in it. What a wacky race this has been! Redding is trying Baz right now. Redding passes Loris Baz on the inside at turn two. Redding finished sixth in his home race at Silverstone last time out. Marquez has six seconds in hand. It's dry now. When Jorge Lorenzo crashed, he lost the rear end of the bike. Three laps left for Marc Marquez. Bradley Smith will get his second podium in MotoGP. Valentino Rossi and Danilo Petrucci battle for fifth.
We've had a season's worth of drama in one race, here at Misano. Aleix Espargaro on the Suzuki, switched back to slicks early. Marc Marquez is running away with ta possible race win. The Ducati's are running well with Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Ianonne. Now, Scott Redding has gotten by Loris Baz. It is now the last lap. Marc Marquez has had a fabulous race. The riders make the decisions. There are no radios in MotoGP. Scott Redding is 5.3 seconds clear of Loris Baz. Valentino Rossi won't get a podium. But he'll still get points.
Marc Marquez will dominate, and take the win here at Misano. It will be his first win at Misano in MotoGP. He's won here in 125cc and in Moto 2. Marc Marquez wins at Misano! Bradley Smith has his second podium, and his career best finish.
#93 Marc Marquez ESP. Honda
Marc Marquez takes his 23rd career race victory. The next race is in Spain, at the MotorLand Aragon, in Aragon, Spain, in two weeks. It will be the final race in Europe, until the season finale, also in Spain. We'll see you then, folks.
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