Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) continued to assert his authority on the 2018 MotoGP™ World Championship after emerging victorious in a ferocious race-long fight with second place Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) earning the Hamamatsu factory’s first Aragon rostrum as pole man Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) dramatically crashed out at Turn 1 on the opening lap.

It was the Spaniard who snatched pole from teammate Dovizioso and Honda rival Marquez on Saturday, but after the latter got a great launch from P3 on the grid and dived up the inside to grab the holeshot, sending both riders wide, the ‘Spartan’ highsided out of contention as his hopes of a win went begging – huge disappointment for Lorenzo who suffered a dislocated toe in the process.

This first corner drama allowed Dovizioso to take the lead of the race, with Marquez slotting into second ahead of the two fast-starting Suzukis of Iannone and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The Ducati rider then settled into a rhythm and controlled the pace, but the following quintet which included Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro were locked in tow for the opening exchanges. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was joining the back of the leading group after he lost out on the opening lap from a P4 start, but the British rider then crashed out at Turn 1 on lap five – rider ok.

Back on track and Rins was looking menacing behind Marquez, shadowing numerous overtaking attempts into the first corner as both Suzukis kept tabs on the leading duo. By lap 11, Dovi, Marquez, Rins and Iannone had edged out two-second gap to Pedrosa and Esparagro and almost as if someone had flicked a switch, ‘DesmoDovi’ turned up the wick and posted the fastest lap of the race a lap later – a 1:48.3. Marquez responded to cling onto the tailpipe of the Italian as the two looked to have broken clear of the GSX-RRs.

Credits : Photos and content courtesy of motogp.com