The heat was on in Sepang as Honda and Yamaha locked horns once again.
MotoGP Malaysia Race Report
Honda definitely rained on Yamaha’s parade in the MotoGP Malaysia, with Pedrosa and Marquez doing all they could to keep Lorenzo and Rossi off the top of the podium.
Pedrosa set a new lap record at the Malaysia GP in qualifying, and went on to take his 2nd victory of the season and the 51st of his career. He said: “The pace was very good all weekend so I think we did a good job and winning this race I’m really happy for my team and everyone behind me. It was really hard so I’m really happy and we’ll try to finish the season in the same way.”
Lorenzo also did well, taking crucial points from Rossi by coming second. He executed a string of super-fast laps to gain a podium place, performing well in the extreme heat. He commented: “You know I don’t remember a race that was hotter or more difficult than this in a physical way…Very hot and difficult to finish the race but it was worth the effort and the championship is closer.”
While Pedrosa and Lorenzo rode superbly at Sepang, their performance was overshadowed by two MotoGP champions whose scrap turned nasty in the battle for 3rd. Reprising the earlier battles of 2015, Rossi and Marquez were at it again. There were no less than 15 overtakes in their struggle for the podium.
On turn 14 of lap seven, after close overtakes on every corner, the tension broke with an astonishing action from Valentino Rossi. From the footage, it appears that Marquez slowed down on the outside, Rossi looked at him and removed his foot from the footpeg. As his knee went out, it connected with Marquez’s bike. Marquez’s front slipped and he slid off the track, crashing out of the race.
So what exactly happened between Rossi and Marquez?
The answer is unclear, but the incident was immediately referred to Race Direction to decide if there should be a penalty. The official decision reads: “Valentino Rossi deliberately ran wide on Turn 14 in order to force another rider off line, resulting in contact causing the other rider to crash. This is considered to be irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors…” The result is three penalty points.
Added to the 1 point Rossi already had, the Doctor now has a total of 4 penalty points. This means that he will start last on the grid in Valencia. After this decision, Rossi accused Marquez of playing a “dirty game”. He had said in a previous press conference that he believed Marquez to be deliberately sabotaging him. He was clearly frustrated by Marquez’s riding, but insisted that he didn’t retaliate by kicking the current world champion off the track.
Valentino explained: “if you look at the image from the helicopter it is clear that when I lose the foot from the footrest Marquez had already crashed. So I don’t want to kick him…But for me this is unfair; as I just want to fight for the championship with Jorge and the better man win. Like this it doesn’t happen.”
Marc Marquez clearly doesn’t agree with Rossi’s version of events. He told the press: “you know during my career I have many moments you know, I mean many battles and everything, but never have I felt this. That another rider give me a big push and push me out with the leg. But in the end, my result in the race was zero points.”
Rossi’s Yamaha teammate Lorenzo also seemed to be angry with Rossi’s behaviour, storming off the podium without even popping the champagne. By bringing his anger onto the track, Rossi has disappointed even his most hardcore fans. If he did shove Marquez out, then this shocking display of childishness is a low ebb for a legendary world champion with a long career behind him.
Smith and Crutchlow bring it home for Britain
Our Brits had a great day on track, with Bradley Smith riding one of the best races of his career and achieving an impressive fourth place. This was his best dry weather result, battling his way up from ninth on the grid. He is now 18 points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso on the table, back in sixth place.
Smith commented: “It is amazing to get 13 points as we have now extended the points lead over Dovizioso for 6th position in the championship. So we definitely have something to celebrate and we can go home with a smile on our faces after a positive three weeks.”
Cal Crutchlow started in fifth and stayed in fifth, after an eventful race in which he unfortunately sent Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso off the track. It was unintentional this time, and Crutchlow said: “It was a bit of a strange race today…I would like to say sorry to Dovi as I knocked him off – he is the last rider on the track I would want to knock off as he is the cleanest rider. I apologized to him and he took it very well.”
Looking forward to Valencia…
Between Rossi and Lorenzo there is now only a 7 point gap. That gap looks even more precarious for Rossi, as he will start way back on the grid for the final race. On 8th November in Valencia, if Lorenzo wins and Rossi comes third again, Lorenzo will snatch the Doctor’s 10th title away from him by just 2 points. On the other hand, all Rossi has to do is come second, even if Lorenzo storms to victory, and he will take the title by a whisker.
It’s tense stuff, folks. We can’t wait to announce the 2015 world champion here on the blog. If you’ve missed any of this season’s fantastic races, check out our Racing News section for full recaps of all the action leading up to the final.
What’s your take on the MotoGP Malaysia? Is Marquez up to something sinister, or is Rossi just frustrated as he approaches the moment of truth? Can Lorenzo finally squash his teammate’s dreams or will Rossi finish his career as a world champion? Leave a comment below and have your say.
Photos courtesy of www.motogp.com
