MotoGP Part II Begins in Brno: Marquez Leads by 58 Points

2019 Brno MotoGP Preview

Following the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring a month ago, the 2019 MotoGP Championship took its traditional summer break. This downtime – although brief – is as crucial as the races themselves. It provides some breathing room for riders and teams as they evaluate their strategies and plan for the second half of the season.

Five-time MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez likely didn’t have much to evaluate as he was the dominate rider throughout the first half of the season. The 26-year-old Repsol Honda RC213V pilot had claimed eight podiums in the opening nine races, which included five wins, three runner-ups, and one DNF.

The DNF arrived after a very un-Marquez like mistake at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Marquez crashed while in the lead, ending his reign of six consecutive race wins from the pole.

Every other performance, including the German Grand Prix, was very typical of Marquez.

He led all 30 laps, only challenged by Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and the Assen victor, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales. The German GP was Marquez’s 75th victory of his Grand Prix career and his 49th win in the premier class.

Now he enters the second half of the season 58 points ahead of his nearest rival, Mission Winnow Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.

The second half begins with the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno, a circuit where Marquez has finished off the podium only once since joining the premier class in 2013. He won there twice (2013, 2017), and finished third last season behind Jorge Lorenzo, then a Ducati rider, and winner Dovizioso.

“I am very excited to get back on the bike,” Marc Marquez says. “Summer break is always nice to relax a little bit, but soon you miss the team and the bike! I am ready to get back to work and Brno is a fun circuit to ride.

“We finished the first half of the season in a very strong way and now we must keep our focus to continue this. Brno is a circuit where lots of riders are often strong so we can’t take anything for granted. I hope Jorge’s recovery is going well and we will soon have him back in the team.”

Marquez’s teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, continues to recover from his crash at the Assen GP and will miss this weekend’s Czech Republic GP and the subsequent Austria GP. Lorenzo, who broke his back during the Assen wreck, is targeting a return at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix August 25.

The German Stefan Bradl will once again substitute for the injured Lorenzo. When Bradl rode for Lorenzo at Sachsenring, he finished 10th aboard the factory RC213V.

Dovizioso will surely be the biggest threat, although he has only achieved two podiums at Brno since joining the premier class in 2008 – a second in 2011 (Honda) and the win last season. So far this season Dovizioso has four podiums, including his victory at the season-opener in Qatar.

The next closest riders to Marquez are Dovi’s teammate Danilo Petrucci, who trails by 64 points, and Rins, who is 84 points behind.

Round 10 of the 2019 MotoGP Championship gets underway Friday with free practice ahead of Saturday qualifying and Sunday’s 21-lap GP.

Will Marquez extend his lead, and gain even more momentum as he chases a sixth world title?

For airing times, visit 2019 MotoGP TV Times: US Schedule.

2019 MotoGP Point Standings (after nine of 19 rounds):

Pos.	Rider	Manufacturer	Nationality	Points
1	Marc Marquez	Honda	ESP	185
2	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	ITA	127
3	Danilo Petrucci	Ducati	ITA	121
4	Alex Rins	Suzuki	ESP	101
5	Maverick Viñales	Yamaha	ESP	85
6	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha	ITA	80
7	Jack Miller	Ducati	AUS	70
8	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	GBR	67
9	Fabio Quartararo	Yamaha	FRA	67
10	Pol Espargaro	KTM	ESP	56
11	Franco Morbidelli	Yamaha	ITA	52
12	Takaaki Nakagami	Honda	JPN	50
13	Joan Mir	Suzuki	ESP	39
14	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	ESP	31
15	Andrea Iannone	Aprilia	ITA	21
16	Jorge Lorenzo	Honda	ESP	19
17	Johann Zarco	KTM	FRA	16
18	Miguel Oliveira	KTM	PRT	15
19	Tito Rabat	Ducati	ESP	14
20	Stefan Bradl	Honda	DEU	12
21	Francesco Bagnaia	Ducati	ITA	11
22	Michele Pirro	Ducati	ITA	9
23	Hafizh Syahrin	KTM	MYS	3
24	Karel Abraham	Ducati	CZE	3
25	Sylvain Guintoli	Kawasaki	FRA	3
26	Bradley Smith	KTM	GBR	0