Marc Marquez Edges Out Jorge Lorenzo to Remain Unconquered at Indianapolis

Two-time world MotoGP champion Marc Marquez may not be having a good ride in the 2015 MotoGP season but that didn’t prevent him to maintain his incredible record at the Indianapolis MotoGP. On Sunday, Marquez had a hard-fought battle with his compatriot and Yamaha Movistar rival Jorge Lorenzo but in a thrilling end, the Repsol Honda rider came out on top. This was Marquez’s fifth win in a row at Indianapolis, three of which came as MotoGP rider and the other two, earlier on Moto2. For most part of the race on the legendary Indianapolis track, Marquez and Lorenzo remained bunched together with Lorenzo in the lead but Marquez pulled off an incredible victory in the end. Championship leader Valentino Rossi was third and he managed to keep a 100% podium record this season.

It rained and rained at Indianapolis on Sunday August 9, 2015. Moto3 and Moto2 could not take place but conditions improved later in the day by the time MotoGP riders came on the grid. There were few rain affected patches but by and large it remained dry for the entire duration of the race. Marquez had taken the pole in the qualifying earlier on saturday but as the race began, he was quickly surpassed by Lorenzo at the first corner itself. However, Marquez was in close pursuit and the two Spanish riders broke away from the rest and stayed at the front of the field. 68,000 MotoGP fans became witness to one of the most spectacular MotoGP performances from the two highly accomplished Spaniards. Lorenzo was stalked by Marquez for most part and the 2014 world champion bade his time while watching his rival’s every single nuance from his second position.

With just three laps remaining in the race, Marquez made his move at turn 1. Lorenzo couldn’t respond as Marquez pulled away impressively and kept his lead until the end finishing half a second ahead of the Yamaha Movistar rider. In the process, Marc Marquez registered Honda’s 700th GP victory. It was also the 9th race in a row that Marquez won on the US Soil. After his phenomenal performance in 2014, the Indianapolis win was also the first time in 2015 that Marquez had recorded back-to-back victories. The third place was taken by 2015 championship leader Valentino Rossi, who started from 8th position on the grid. Rossi had a sensational opening lap and in the end he was able to beat Dani Pedrosa for the final podium spot. Rossi had overtaken Pedrosa on the turn 1 of the 18th lap but Pedrosa regained the third spot soon and looked like finishing third. But the veteran Italian produced a dramatic last-lap showdown to wrest the podium from Pedrosa.

Ducati’s Andrea Iannone was fifth as he averted a slip in his fight with Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith. Another Monster Yamaha rider Pol Espargaro was seventh and a fighting Cal Crutchlow on CWM LCR Honda was eighth. On another Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso, who had run wide on turn 2 of the first lap, made a brilliant recovery and finished ninth ahead of the Octo Pramac Racing Ducati of Danilo Petrucci, who brought the rear with the tenth place finish.