Ducati's Marquez wins Czech GP sprint after penalty scare
Marquez and factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia were both forced to slow down during the race and surrender first and second place due to low tyre pressure, or risk incurring an eight-second penalty.
Six-times champion Marquez relinquished his lead but was able to overtake KTM's Pedro Acosta with two laps remaining and cross the finish line first, with MotoGP later confirming that no further action would be taken against Marquez.
Acosta's teammate Enea Bastiani ended in third.
Asked if he had done enough to avoid a penalty, Marquez said: "Yeah, we did it. For that reason, I'm smiling. So it's true that it was super towards the limit. And yeah, we're riding comfortable.
"Then I saw that the pressure was not enough. I tried to push some laps on the brakes, but I saw that was too much risk to get on that correct pressure. And then I decided to wait.
"I just stayed super close to Acosta to increase the temperature. And then when I saw the temperature was already inside the rules, pressure was inside the rules, then I pushed in the last few laps."
Marquez leads the riders' championship table with 356 points, with his second-placed younger brother Alex, who finished 17th after a disastrous start, 95 points behind on 261.
Pole-sitter Bagnaia finished seventh after he was overtaken by Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in the final lap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Creative talents ready to raise the stakes in Women's Euro final
OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland :With Lauren James of England and Aitana Bonmati of Spain set to clash in Sunday's Women's Euro final, the match will showcase two of the modern game's premier creative dribblers vying for one of football's biggest prizes. Both sides boast a host of players who are more than comfortable with the ball at their feet and capable of bringing the crowd to theirs every time they take on an opponent, as well as defenders ready to stop them. "You have to try to read the situation - what's the right thing to do? Can you go at two (players) or should you pass the ball? We just have to analyse where the space is and what's possible," Caroline Graham-Hansen, a teammate of Bonmati's at Barcelona, told Reuters. "Just believe in yourself. Like, if you have two (players marking you), somebody else has more space, so just try to exploit that advantage or disadvantage that they try to give you," she added. Graham-Hansen is one of many dribblers who have lit up the Women's Euros with her skills which she discovered and sharpened while playing with friends as a child. "I just enjoyed dribbling. Going out, playing with the ball made me happy, it was something fun to do every time. I guess the playfulness of just enjoying the ball alone is part of my game today too," Graham-Hansen explained. Both James and Bonmati love to run at defenders, using changes of pace and direction to wrong-foot opponents and open up space for themselves. But though the world's top dribblers are often given license to attack in unorthodox ways, they still have to fit into tactical systems. With so many teams trying to win the ball and then play in transition, the dribblers have to weigh up when to back themselves and when to play it safe. "It's about trying to make the other team make mistakes, and the most difficult thing is obviously to dribble when there's a high risk of losing the ball, but you have to try. If you can beat your defender, it's always a big advantage," Graham-Hansen said. Sunday's final will be the most high-pressure game of the tournament, but Graham-Hansen said that dribbling specialists are well-used to performing in such circumstances.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Piastri fastest in sole Belgian GP practice
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium :Formula One leader Oscar Piastri showed impressive speed in sole practice for the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday with Max Verstappen starting Red Bull's new era by denying champions McLaren the one-two. Piastri was a hefty 0.404 quicker than four-times world champion Verstappen, whose team are racing without Christian Horner in charge for the first time since they entered the sport in 2005. McLaren's Lando Norris was third on the timesheets, 0.504 off the pace and with work to do if he is to reduce Piastri's eight point lead. With Belgium running to the sprint format, qualifying for Saturday's 100km race replaces the usual second Friday practice session. Mercedes George Russell, who won last year before being stripped of victory for an underweight car, was fourth fastest with teammate Kimi Antonelli sixth and separating the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Canadian Lance Stroll was eighth for Aston Martin with teammate Fernando Alonso ninth and Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar completing the top 10 as his former boss Laurent Mekies started work as Horner's replacement. Horner was dismissed after this month's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
CNA
21 hours ago
- CNA
Barcelona's Ter Stegen to undergo back surgery, be out for three months
Barcelona captain and Germany keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be sidelined for three months as he recuperates from back surgery, the 33-year-old said in an Instagram post on Thursday. Ter Stegen missed seven months after suffering a knee injury last year, which forced him to have surgery before making his return in May. He previously underwent back surgery in 2023, which sidelined him for over two months. "This time, the doctors believe about three months will be necessary as a precaution, to avoid any risks," said Ter Stegen, who has been at Barcelona since 2014, winning six LaLiga titles and a Champions League with the club. "Emotionally, it hurts a lot not being able to support the team during this time. Fortunately, the rehabilitation is manageable and the road back is clear."
