MotoGP Americas Grand Prix: Marc Marquez seals second victory in as many races as Valentino Rossi crashes out

Marquez added victory in America to his Argentinian triumph to stretch his championship lead over Jorge Lorenzo

Marc Marquez celebrates winning the MotoGP Grand Prix of America (AP)

Valentino Rossi crashed out of the Americas Grand Prix as rival Marc Marquez extended his MotoGP championship lead with a second victory in as many weeks, adding the win in Texas to his triumph in Argentina last weekend.

Rossi made a good start along with his Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, but as the reigning champion dived to the inside of Marc Marquez at the first corner he ran wide and opened the door for his front-row rivals to cut back and pass him.

Lorenzo somehow managed to barge his way in front of Rossi as he returned to the racing line, and the Italian was royally mugged on the back straight as not only the incredibly fast Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso powered past but the Honda of Dani Pedrosa also leapfrogged the ailing Yamaha.

Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Grand Prix of America (AP)

Rossi’s race would last just two more laps though. The run down to turn two is quickened by the downhill slope from the hairpin at turn one, but Rossi will not have expected to lose the front of his Yamaha as he exited the right-hander yet that’s exactly what happened to eliminate him from the running.

Two laps later and another two of the front runners were to fall by the wayside, with Dovizioso taken out by no fault of his own for the second race in a row. After his own team-mate, Andrea Iannone, took him out with an ill-judged overtake at the penultimate corner in Argentina last week, it was the turn of Pedrosa to cannon into the Ducati rider to take him out of the race.

Pedrosa steamed into turn one and, when it became apparent he was not making the corner, lost the front end and careered into the side of the Italian. Pedrosa checked on Dovizioso, who appeared to be shaken up by the unsighted hit, before continuing at the back of the field and promptly retired in the pits nine laps from home.

The drama continued at turn one on the very next lap as Britain’s Cal Crutchlow dropped his LCR Honda while following his compatriot Scott Redding. The Isle of Man resident quickly jumped to his feet to chase his stray bike in similar scenes to that of Argentina where he also dropped it, only to see Bradley Smith’s Tech3 Yamaha came rifling past him and nearly collect his feet after the 25-year-old followed suit in crashing at turn one. Both men sprinted to their bikes simultaneous, with Crutchlow incredibly lucky not to be collected by Smith’s Yamaha, and the pair continued albeit way down the order.

The Honda Racing team celebrate as Marc Marquez wheelies over the finish line to win the Grand Prix of America (AP)

Loriz Baz was another who fell victim to turn one, with the Frenchman continuing after laying down his Ducati.

Out in front though Marquez had gapped Lorenzo amid the melee behind, with Iannone promoted to third due to Pedrosa’s, Dovizioso’s and Rossi’s premature exit, while an enthralling battle was developing between the Suzuki team-mates of Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro.

From there on though matters at the front were a procession, with Lorenzo unable to do anything about Marquez’s lead, and the two-time champion cantered to victory for the second race in a row ahead of Lorenzo and Iannone, with Vinales winning the battle of the Suzukis to take fourth.

Redding profited from the high attrition rate to take sixth and secure the top independent spot, with Tech3 Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro seventh ahead of Emmanuele Pirro, Hector Barbera and Stefan Bradl. Both Cructhlow and Smith missed out on any points as they finished 16th and 17th respectively.

Marquez moves well ahead of the rest of the pack in the championship standings with 66 points, with Lorenzo leapfrogging both Rossi and Pedrosa into second to trail Marquez by 23 points on a total of 43. Rossi drops to third and remains on 33 points ahead of Pedrosa, who sits six points further behind.