Marc Marquez returned to the top spot of the podium at a Spanish race for the first time since the 2014 finale in Valencia, taking a maiden victory at the AragÌ_n GP. At just 23 years of age, Marquez brings his career tally to 54 wins, equalling Australian legend Mick Doohan.
The only rider so far this year to win four races, Marquez has extended his championship lead to 52 points over Valentino Rossi and 66 over Jorge Lorenzo, with four rounds to go.
The race was incredibly challenging and close. Starting from pole, Marquez fought hard to overtake Maverick Vi̱ales and Lorenzo, taking the lead on the second lap. Soon after, a risky moment on lap three could have changed the outcome of his race; Marc almost lost the front in turn 7 and nearly crashed out. He saved it but dropped back to fifth.
It took the Spaniard a few laps to calm down and begin his recovery; he overtook Andrea Dovizioso on lap five, Lorenzo on lap seven, Vi̱ales on lap 10 and finally Rossi on lap 12. He pushed hard for a few laps to pull a gap and then managed the advantage until the chequered flag. Marc was joined on the podium by Honda Motor Director Shinji Aoyama, celebrating the fifth victory by a Honda rider in the last seven races and Honda extending its leading in the Constructor and Team standings.
‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm very happy to have taken the win at a home Grand Prix, and one of my favourite races," Marquez said. "I was waiting for this GP, it was a ‰Û÷red point‰Ûª on the calendar for me, as I saw it as one where I wanted to attack and where I could win the race.
"It was an important victory, but nothing is finished yet," he continued, "I said yesterday that something can always happen in a race, and it was a miracle that I didn‰Ûªt crash today when I almost lost it in turn 7. That was when I decided to relax a little and go back to my mentality from practice of riding precisely and braking in the right places.
