Marquez Fights Back for MotoGP 2017 Title

A few races ago you could have been caught out thinking the 2017 MotoGP championship was already a certainty for Yamaha’s Maverick Viñales, but reigning champion Marc Marquez isn’t the type of guy to take a challenge lying down.

With two wins in a row for Ducati and Yamaha’s riders still on pretty good form, you could have thought it was going to be a mediocre season for the reigning champ, quietly winning points but rarely standing on the top spot of the podium. But if the weekend’s racing at the Sachsenring proved anything, it was you can’t ignore the talented Spaniard, who took his eighth win in a row (dating back to his 125cc days) at the German track.

Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa got away from the front row cleanly from the start, entering the first corner in first and second places, respectively. But on lap five, Jonas Folger moved past Pedrosa, and overtook Marquez on the following lap.  Marquez regained the lead on lap 11 and didn’t let go until the chequered flag dropped with Folger closely following him across the line and Pedrosa claiming the final spot on the podium 11 seconds behind Marquez.

Rounding out the Top 5 were Movistar Yamaha riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi. The winner of the previous two races, Andrea Dovizioso, crossed the line in 8th which saw him lose his championship lead to Marquez.

The victory in Germany means that Marquez jumps up to the top of the leaderboard in the MotoGP championship before the four-week summer break. Marc dedicated his 31st  MotoGP win (the same tally as Eddie Lawson) to Nicky Hayden, who passed away in May.

“I knew before the weekend that this was an important moment in the Championship and that the Sachsenring was an important circuit for us. Marquez said post-race.

“It was the place to take a risk if necessary and to try to win. So I’m happy we took these 25 points and the lead in the Championship before the summer break. The race was very tight. Honestly, before the start I thought I would have to battle with Dani, but actually there was also another very fast opponent. I was very surprised at the beginning to see Jonas there, and I thought he might stay in between with the other riders, but he actually remained there! He was quite a tough opponent!”

The first race back after the summer break takes place August 6 at Brno in the Czech Republic.

MotoGP Championship Standings after Nine Rounds