Marc Marquez dominates Czech MotoGP to win fifth race in a row
The factory Ducati rider beat Marco Bezzecchi on an Aprilia by almost two seconds on Sunday, while Pedro Acosta on a KTM came in third in his first race podium finish of the season.
Marquez had a fifth straight perfect weekend, winning both the sprint on Saturday and Sunday's race.
The 32-year-old Spaniard now leads the world championship with 381 points, 120 ahead of his younger brother Alex who crashed, and 168 ahead of Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
'It has been a super first part of the season and especially these last races,' Marquez said.
'I feel better and better and I'm riding super good,' he added.
Marquez outpaces his rivals
Bagnaia started from pole on a sunny Sunday at Brno but only retained the lead until the second lap when Bezzecchi eased past him, with Marquez following suit soon afterwards.
Acosta did the same to settle down in third after getting a boost from a third-place finish in Saturday's sprint.
Marquez glided past Bezzecchi on lap eight as the runaway trio kept building up their lead, and as so often this season kept widening the gap comfortably.
The three stayed put until the finish line, although fourth-placed Bagnaia gave Acosta a hard time pressing from behind.
'The first lap was unbelievable,' said Bezzecchi.
'I had so much fun in the first half of the race but unfortunately when Marc passed me I immediately saw that he had something more.'
'I tried to attack but he was strong. Anyway, I made a fantastic performance, I'm very, very happy,' added the Italian.
Reigning world champion Jorge Martin collected his first points after finishing seventh in the first race he has completed this year.
Martin sat out the first three races following two pre-season crashes, and when he returned at Qatar in April, he crashed heavily again during the race and missed the next seven events.
Brno returns faster than ever
Marquez took 40min 04.628sec to complete the 21 laps on the resurfaced 5.4-kilometre Brno circuit returning to the MotoGP calendar after a five-year break due to financial woes.
The enhanced on-track results of the Brno resurfacing was evident with lap times this year several seconds under the previous lap record.
Bezzecchi crossed the line 1.753 seconds adrift of Marquez, while Acosta trailed the six-time MotoGP champion by 3.366sec.
Almost 220,000 fans gathered in the stands for the weekend as Marquez recorded his fourth MotoGP win at Brno after victories in 2013, 2017 and 2019.
Alex Marquez retired after crashing on lap two to leave Brno without a point following a disappointing 17th spot in the sprint race.
He took out Joan Mir who also walked away from the gravel safety area, just like Enea Bastianini a lap later.
Japan's Takaaki Nakagami was ruled out of the race after suffering a knee injury in a crash in Saturday's sprint.
The MotoGP circus will now take a summer break and resume with the Austrian GP on August 15-17.
'Now it's the summer break but still 10 races to go. Time to relax, but in Austria I (will) keep the same mentality with the same intensity,' said Marquez.
He is eyeing his seventh MotoGP world title – and first since 2019 – that would put him level with Valentino Rossi and one behind the legendary Giacomo Agostini.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
10 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Verstappen says Horner's exit has no impact on future plans
Max Verstappen has insisted that Christian Horner's shock departure as team boss of Red Bull will have no impact on his future plans. The four-time world champion, who has been linked with a move to Mercedes next year, suggested on Thursday that he expects to stay with Red Bull until the conclusion of his current contract in 2028. Speaking to reporters in the paddock before this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, one of his 'home' races as he was born in Belgium and his mother is Belgian, the 27-year-old Dutchman said he was concerned only with improving the speed and performance of his car. The rest, he said, was not of great interest to him, adding that past tensions between Horner and his father, Jos Verstappen, had no bearing on decisions about his future. Asked if Horner's exit after 20 years as team boss made it more probable that he would stay at Red Bull next year, Verstappen said, 'No, it doesn't. Not really.' He said the well-publicised discord between his father and Horner was never a problem. 'People can have a difference of opinion, and I expect that to happen because if everyone agrees, there is a problem. 'You need to have differences in opinion. Now, we will work in a different direction, and I am excited about it, and I don't think it will matter at all for the decision over my future. 'The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can and try and be more competitive this year, a little bit, but for sure with the new regulations next year.' Verstappen had earlier welcomed the appointment of Frenchman Laurent Mekies, promoted from junior team Racing Bulls, as Horner's successor and clearly sensed that it could usher in a stronger technical and engineering focus at the team. He gave an oblique response when asked if he had a decision to make about his future. 'There is also the possibility of not waking up tomorrow, and so there is no driving. 'Life is unpredictable and, in general, I am happy with where I am at.' He added, 'The target was that when I signed my deal, I would drive here until the end of my career.' Verstappen will be hoping to end the speculation and give both the team and new boss Mekies a boost with a convincing performance this weekend on his favourite circuit. The Dutchman finds himself in the unaccustomed position of third in the drivers' standings, behind leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, both of McLaren.
Al Jazeera
11 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Usyk set to face Parker in heavyweight title fight on WBO orders
The WBO has ordered negotiations for a bout between its interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker and the unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, the ruling body has said. Both parties have 30 days to agree on terms for a mandatory defence of Usyk's title, and if they fail to do so, the WBO will open a purse bid. 'The minimum bid in the Heavyweight division is one million dollars … any of the parties herein may request purse bid proceedings at any time during negotiation stages,' the WBO said in a statement on Thursday. Usyk has held the WBO belt since 2021, when he won it from Anthony Joshua along with the WBA and IBF titles, and has defended it four times, also taking the WBC belt from Tyson Fury to become the unified champion. The undefeated Ukrainian vacated the IBF belt last year after opting not to face the sanctioning body's interim champion Daniel Dubois in favour of a rematch with Fury, which he won by unanimous decision in December. Usyk, 38, knocked out Dubois on Saturday to regain the IBF belt and undisputed status. New Zealand's Parker won the interim WBO championship last year in a majority decision over Zhilei Zhang. He defended it in February, knocking out Martin Bakole.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
‘It feels like home': Marcus Rashford joins Barcelona on loan from Man Utd
England forward Marcus Rashford said Barcelona was a club where 'dreams come true' as he joined the La Liga champions on a season-long loan from Manchester United, with an option to buy at the end of the 2025-26 season. Media reports said that Barcelona would cover Rashford's wages this season after the player accepted a pay cut, with the option to buy set at about 30 million euros ($35.25m) for the 27-year-old. 'Very excited. I think it's a club where people's dreams come true. They win big prizes. And what the club stands for really means a lot to me as well. So it feels like I am at home,' Rashford told reporters following his unveiling on Wednesday. 'Another factor is because the conversations I had with the manager [Hansi Flick] were positive. What he did last season was terrific. 'To lead such a young team to a very successful season and come back to preseason and still want to do more, it shows me everything I thought I knew about the club, and it's everything I wished.' Once seen as a club icon and homegrown star, Rashford had a dramatic fall from grace at United, marked by a falling out with manager Ruben Amorim that paved the way for him to move to Aston Villa on loan in February. '[Manchester United] is in a period of change, and they have been for a while. I don't have anything bad to say as it has been an important part not just of my career but my life, so I was grateful for the opportunity,' he added. 'But like life, not everything goes as simple as you thought, and this is my next chapter, and I'm fully focused on improving myself and helping the team win trophies.' Barcelona said Rashford had signed his contract earlier on Wednesday afternoon. 'Rashford can play anywhere in attack. Right footed, he can take players on and is an excellent finisher, talents he can now show in a Barca shirt,' the club said in a statement. Second time lucky with Barca loan deal The move to Barcelona came after Manchester-born Rashford, who made 426 senior appearances and scored 138 goals for United in all competitions, fell out of favour with Amorim, who called his work rate into question. Rashford, who won two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Europa League title with United, joined Aston Villa on loan after Amorim said he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all. United issued a statement wishing Rashford well as they announced the deal with Barcelona. 'Everyone at Manchester United wishes Marcus good luck for the season,' the club said. The forward, who has scored 17 goals for England in 62 appearances, said he was feeling fitter and better after joining Villa, where he netted two goals in 10 league games, while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings. Rashford said he had wanted to move to Barca during the mid-season transfer window when he joined Villa. 'I was clear on my preference [to join Barcelona] from the beginning. Actually, from maybe in January. It didn't work out in January, so I went to Villa and enjoyed a good period there,' he said. 'It was time to make another decision. My choice was easy. [Barcelona] is a family club, something I'm used to from my past. It feels like home.' Barcelona are set to play three preseason friendlies in Japan and South Korea, starting on July 27. Hello? Barça?For sure, I 'm coming ☎️ — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 23, 2025
