Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) started from the front of the pack on Sunday at Aragon GP which was also his 200th grand prix start. And to top it, the Spaniard finished first as well but with a fierce did rage behind him with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) completing the rostrum.
A lightning start for Marquez saw him beat Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) into Turn 1. Viñales slipped to P4 with Quartararo chasing number 93 on the opening lap but by the end of the lap, Marquez was a second down the road.
The opening lap for the fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was rather dramatic as the Spaniard got a bit too excited at Turn 12 as he collided with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The latter crashed out with Rins dropping to P17.
Marquez powered on in the clear upfront. Miller led the chase but the gap was quickly up to 1.8 seconds by Lap 4, with the race rapidly becoming a battle for the remaining podium places.
Dovizioso was up behind Quartararo, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) holding off Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) in sixth and seventh.
Lap 9 saw Dovi power past Quartararo’s Yamaha as the Italian now locked his radar onto the back of fellow GP19 rider Miller, with Viñales holding the gap to Miller at just below a second. Marquez was over four seconds clear and with nine to go, Dovi made his move on Miller at Turn 1.
Viñales was still holding onto P2 but with just three laps to go, the red Desmosedici used the Ducati grunt to make Viñales look like he was standing still as 04 grabbed P2.
2019 MotoGP Aragon Qualifying Race: Marquez, Quartararo, Vinales in the front row for Sunday race
Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was in the battle for the top five in the early stages, but the nine-time World Champion dropped back soon after to have a lonely race in Aragon. P8 went the way of ‘The Doctor’, with Rins fighting back to P9 after his opening lap incident, with then handed him a long lap penalty.
Marquez now holds a 98-point lead to Thailand and this championship will be all his if he wins at Thai GP in October. The seven-time champion Marquez will be an eight-time world champion with win at Buriram!
