Honda’s Marc Marquez started the second half of 2019 MotoGP season with a win in Czech GP after rain delay from Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.
After a delay due to wet conditions at Brno, the MotoGP Czech GP finally was underway with only 20 laps to be run as pole-sitter and Honda’s Marquez led the way in the front from Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, who moved to second ahead of Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller.
Front-row starter KTM’s Johann Zarco had a dreadful start to drop outside the Top 10 as he bumped Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli, who slid off into the gravel taking Suzuki’s Joan Mir together with him at Turn 4 to retire.
As Marquez led Dovizioso, Suzuki’s Alex Rins passed Miller to be third as LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow made his way up to fifth after clearing KTM’s Pol Espargaro and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi. The Italian was sixth after passing Espargaro himself.
Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo also climbed up to seventh as Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci dropped back to ninth, while Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales climbed up to 12th midway in the race after dropping to 15th at the start of the grand prix.
Zarco dropped out of the Top 15 as satellite rider Tech 3 KTM’s Hafizh Syahrin crashed out. At the front, Marquez continued to lead despite some scary moments but the Spaniard had enough to open the second half of 2019 MotoGP season with a win in Czech GP.
Marquez also became the fourth rider to score 50 premier class wins as Dovizioso couldn’t do much to be second ahead of Miller, who got past Rins with two laps remaining as the Spaniard had to settle for fourth – his first race finish in three grand prix.
Behind, Crutchlow did well in fifth with Rossi in sixth ahead of Quartararo as Petrucci made up one place to be eighth after Espargaro dropped down to 11th with LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagmi in ninth and Vinales only managing 10th in the end.
Pramac Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia was 12th with Tech 3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveira in 13th as Zarco got back into points to be 14th from Honda’s Stefan Bradl. Just missing the points was Avintia Ducati’s Tito Rabat ahead of the two Aprilia riders.
It was Andrea Innanone ahead of Aleix Espargaro, with the latter dropping out from the points position, as Avintia Ducati’s Karel Abrahm was 19th with Suzuki’s Sylvain Guintoli 20th. DNF: Syahrin, Morbidelli, Mir.