©Motorcyclist

Marquez Crowned 2016 MotoGP World Champion At Motegi

Rossi and Lorenzo crash as Marc Marquez cruises to an uncontested race win and third championship in four years.

October 16, 2016

Japanese Grand Prix Race Results
Marc MARQUEZ (93), Repsol Honda Team HONDA
Andrea DOVIZIOSO (4) Ducati Team DUCATI
Maverick VIÑALES (25) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
Aleix ESPARGARO (41) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
Cal CRUTCHLOW (35) LCR Honda HONDA
Pol ESPARGARO (44) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
Alvaro BAUTISTA (19) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
Danilo PETRUCCI (9) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
Scott REDDING (45) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
Stefan BRADL (6) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
Katsuyuki NAKASUGA (21) Yamaha Factory Racing Team YAMAHA
Yonny HERNANDEZ (68) Aspar Team MotoGP DUCATI
Bradley SMITH (38) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
Tito RABAT (53) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA
Hiroshi AOYAMA (73) HONDA
Loris BAZ (76) Avintia Racing DUCATI
Hector BARBERA (8) Avintia Racing DUCATI

“This race was difficult, because when you are fighting for the championship it is hard to keep the concentration. I started the race and I was convinced my rhythm was good on the Michelin tires and I was pushing hard early on. Then when I saw ‘Valentino out’ on my pit board I decided to go for the victory. Then when I saw ‘Lorenzo out’ the feeling changed and I lost concentration a bit, but I then just couldn’t wait for the moment to cross the line and celebrate with the team," said the new MotoGP champion shortly after the race.©Motorcyclist

Repsol Honda Team's Marc Marquez is celebrating not only the race win but also the 2016 MotoGP World Championship at the home of Honda as Movistar Yamaha teammates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo crashed out of contention. First was Rossi who slid into the gravel early in the race leaving Lorenzo as the last remaining hope to keep the championship hopes alive for the Yamaha team. Marquez kept a steady pace at the front until Lorenzo crashed out of P2 with just a few laps remaining. Marquez stayed on course to take his third premier class title in four years, and his fifth victory of the year.

>>>On the Record With New MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez

Jorge Lorenzo ahead of Movistar Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi.©Motorcyclist

With a slow start for polesitter Rossi, it was points leader Marquez who got the holeshot into Turn 1 before reigning champion Lorenzo quickly took the lead at Turn 2. As Rossi worked his way past Marquez, Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) overtook Rossi. But the Doctor fought back, before a duel between the Movistar Yamaha of Rossi and the Repsol Honda of Marquez saw the two switching positions in an early battle.

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Team©Motorcyclist

A crash for Eugene Laverty (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) then saw the Irishman out the race early on, as the top three of Lorenzo, Marquez and Rossi held down the front.

Team Suzuki Ecstar's Aleix Esoargaro and Maverick Viñales©Motorcyclist

Rossi was first to fold, as the 9-time World Champion made a mistake and lost the front end of his Yamaha leaving teammate Lorenzo as the last man standing in between Marquez and the crown. The status quo between the two remained, with Marquez in a clear lead, as battle raged behind.

Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) broke away from an early fight with LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow to get on the hunt back towards the podium, with teammate Espargaro falling back into his clutches as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) began to hunt down Lorenzo.

Desmo Dovi made some ground, with Lorenzo getting closer and closer before an uncharacteristic error from the reigning World Champion saw him join teammate Rossi on the DNF list. The Repsol Honda pit board informed number 93 of the unbelievable situation he now found himself in: a handful of laps, a third crown, and glory once again at the home of Honda.

Dovizioso followed the new Champion across the line for a P2 finish, with Viñales completing the podium after another impressive ride just ahead of Suzuki teammate Espargaro.

Cal Crutchlow came home in fifth as top Independent Team rider once again, with rival for that title, Monster Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro, just behind in sixth. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed with seventh for another great result for the Noale factory, with teammate Stefan Bradl compounding the joy for Aprilia as he completed a double top 10 finish in P10. Octo Pramac Yakhnich pairing Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding were the remaining puzzle pieces in that top ten, in P8 and P9 and only three tenths apart over the line.

Marquez’ third MotoGP title is his third in four years in the premier class, and his fifth World Championship after becoming 125 World Champion in 2010 and Moto2 World Champion in 2012.