MotoGP Aragon: Marquez recovers to take dominating win

After a couple of race weekends off the podium, Marc Marquez returned to the top. The Repsol Honda rider won the Aragon Grand Prix and extended his points lead over rival Valentino Rossi to 52 points. The victory for Marquez was perfect timing, a critical blow to the competition with just four rounds remaining. Although it wasn't all smooth sailing for the two-time MotoGP world champion; lap three almost saw Marquez crash out of the lead as he lost the front end in turn seven, dropping him out of the lead all the way back down fifth. But the Spaniard made a charge that eventually saw him retake the lead on lap 12, never to be headed.

"It's an important victory because since Austria and Germany we've not been able to win again in the dry,” Marquez said. “Here was a great point on the calendar to attack, and win. It's a nice advantage but we have to stay focused because crashing is very easy - now we go to Asia and that's one of the most difficult points of the season. We know on some circuits we will struggle more and some less, but we need to keep calm."

A crash in the morning warmup was a blessing in disguise for Lorenzo. "Sometimes a negative creates a positive thing, and today the crash made me take two warm up laps to try both bikes, because we wanted to check the crashed bike,” Lorenzo said. “I felt ok when I tried the first bike on the hard tire, and when I tried the second bike with the soft I didn't feel the same. On the grid it's difficult to choose in these situations, last minute, but my instinct from the crash made me able to make this race and finally we've ended up in a great position because we expected to finish six or seventh—and finally we are second and not far from the winner."

Valentino Rossi saw his title hopes fade just that bit more when he was unable to maintain the pace of both Marquez and then Lorenzo. Rossi and his crew were unable to cure a grip issue with the hard compound tire in the second half of the race. "The beginning of the race was very fun, a great battle and I enjoyed it,” Rossi said. “I saw that Marquez' moment in Turn 7 and I hoped his front tire had issues…then when I was in front I had good pace and tried to push at the maximum but unfortunately it wasn't enough. We worked throughout the weekend to try and be stronger in the second half of the race but unfortunately it didn't work how we wanted it. Lorenzo was stronger than me in the second half of the race. From behind I could stay with him and I wanted to fight down to the last lap, but I made a mistake on the brakes and I cut the corner. But these are important points."

2016 MotoGP Aragon Results:
1. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Movistar Yamaha
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Movistar Yamaha
4. Maverick Vinales (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar
5. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) LCR Honda
6. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda
7. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Team Suzuki Ecstar
8. Pol Espargaro (SPA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3
9. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Aprilia
10. Stefan Bradl (GER) Aprilia
11. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati
12. Michele Pirro (ITA) Ducati
13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Ducati
14. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aspar Ducati
15. Nicky Hayden (USA) EG 0.0 Marc VDS Honda
16. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Aspar Ducati
17. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati
18. Loris Baz (FRA) Avintia Ducati
19. Scott Redding (GBR) Octo Pramac Yakhnich Ducati
DNF. Tito Rabat (SPA) EG 0.0 Marc VDS Honda