The Repsol Honda Team took another double top ten finish as both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro advanced to the finish line in fourth and seventh respectively.
After a calm and productive warm-up session with Marquez and Espargaro finishing 11th and 12th, as always lately, everyone’s attention turned to the weather as clouds began to gather. Light raindrops fell as the MotoGP riders prepared for the grid, but the rain ultimately stopped and the 27-lap San Marino Grand Prix was ridden in the dry.
There was no moment to hesitate when the lights went out, Marc Marquez shot forward with his RC213V and made it into the top five. On the fourth lap of the race, Marquez drove past Aleix Espargaro and moved up to fourth place, while Enea Bastianini launched an attack on the eight-time world champion just a few laps later. Marquez stayed with the Ducati rider until the middle of the race when Alex Rins slipped past the # 93, but Rins would crash on lap 17.
The constant pace in the final stages of the race meant that Marquez Miller moved up to fourth. The pair joined reigning world champions Joan Mir as they battled to the finish line. On a great last half of the lap, Marquez took an advantage on the back straight and used the power of his Honda RC213V to shoot out of the last corner and secure himself in fourth place. This is Marquez’s first straight top five finish since returning from injury. He holds 92 points and is ninth in the World Cup.
Pol Espargaro was also quick to start from sixth on the grid, gained ground when the lights went out and started battling with the top five in the first corners. The start had positioned him well to fight Alex Rins as the pair chased Espargaro’s Repsol Honda team-mates just ahead in the opening laps. Espargaro completed almost every single lap of the race in the 1:32 lap and was able to continue the progress he has shown throughout the weekend as his understanding and performance with the RC213V grows. On the final lap, Espargaro overtook brother Aleix and finished seventh, his seventh top ten result of the season. Satisfied with the pace he showed in the race, Espargaro is looking forward to two more days on the track. The result gives the # 44 64 World Championship points, 14th overall.
All five Honda RC213V machines finished in the points at the San Marino Grand Prix. Drivers don’t have to wait long to get back on the track, as the Italian circuit is hosting a two-day test on Tuesday and Wednesday.