Honda’s Marc Marquez controlled at the front to win MotoGP Japanese GP from Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.
Pole-sitter and Honda’s Marc Marquez made a good start to MotoGP Japanese GP race at Twin Ring Motegi as Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo kept second and nearly had the lead on Lap 1, but for the defences of Marquez which denied him.
Quartararo’s teammate Franco Morbidelli was third with Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller on his tail. The Australian got past the Italian for third, with the Petronas rider being chased by Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso and Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales.
LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow was ahead of Vinales at the start but the Spaniard passed him for seventh. Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci was eighth ahead of Suzuki’s Joan Mir, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, KTM’s Pol Espargaro and Suzuki’s Alex Rins in the Top 12.
KTM’s Mika Kallio had a good start to be 13th but Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi dropped places to be 14th ahead of Pramac’s Francesco Bagnaia. Meanwhile, at the front, Marquez continued to lead as he had enough gap from Quartararo.
Riders jostled for places behind though with Morbidelli regaining third from Miller. The Australian started to struggle with pace as he dropped behind Dovizioso, Vinales, Rins and Crutchlow to be eighth. Dovizioso took third after clearing Morbidelli.
Vinales was up to fourth after getting the Italian with Rins also making his move to be seventh after a slow start. With Crutchlow seventh, Miller had the likes of Mir, Rossi and Petrucci behind. KTM’s Espargaro was leading the rest of the pack in 12th.
Bagnaia was up to 13th with Tech 3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveira also in points in 14th ahead of factory KTM of Kallio. What started out as a good run for Aprilia’s Espargaro, he dropped out of points while teammate Andrea Iannone crashed out at Turn 11.
There was also a fall for Yamaha’s Rossi while he tussled with Mir, Petrucci and Miller. It was all under control at the front with Marquez breaking his own record of winning a grand prix after securing the MotoGP world championship with a win in Japanese GP.
In the end, Quartararo held on to second despite the charge from Dovizioso, who had third, with the Frenchman securing the 2019 MotoGP Rookie of the Year title. Vinales was fourth with Crutchlow crossing the line in fifth, just beating Morbidelli on the line.
The Italian though managed to keep Rins behind, who lost out to Crutchlow towards the end stages. Suzuki teammate Mir was just behind in eighth as he got through Petrucci, who was ninth with Miller rounding out the Top 10 of Japanese GP.
KTM’s Espargaro lined up in 11th as Tech 3’s Oliveira passed Pramac’s Bagnaia to be 12th, with Kallio in 14th and Aprilia’s Espargaro rounding out the points scoring position. Local rider LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami missed out in 16th to end his 2019 MotoGP season.
Honda’s Jorge Lorenzo was 17th as the Japanese manufacturer took the constructors’ title. Avintia Ducati’s Karel Abraham was 18th, followed by Tech 3’s Hafizh Syahrin and Suzuki’s Sylvain Guintoli as Avintia’s Tito Rabat did not start the grand prix.
