MotoGP.Com. It’s the reigning champion against the 20-year-old upstart. It’s Yamaha
Factory Racing versus Repsol Honda Team. It’s Jorge Lorenzo and Marc
Marquez. And of course it’s 99 versus 93. There are more than six
numbers between them, though…
To start with, Marquez has clearly mastered the challenge of a
Saturday, having managed no less than eight pole positions including
four on the spin between Silverstone and Sepang. Podiums haven’t been
sparse, either, with 15 for the 20-year-old in comparison with 13 for
the 26-year-old. However, it is Lorenzo who has more wins to his name
(seven to six) and has led many more laps (208 to 82!).
When it comes to falls and crashes, there is a real element of irony
involved. Lorenzo may have badly injured his collarbone twice and missed
the race in Germany as a consequence, but he has crashed only three
times this year in comparison with Marquez’s 15 mishaps. However, the
Cervera man has made the most of his races and only crashed at Mugello;
injuries have been sustained, but nothing on Lorenzo’s level.
Marquez also leads the way when it comes to points…penalty points, that
is. His racing licence is marked with three of them: just one away from
a costly back-of-the-grid penalty. With this in mind, the Honda rider
may elect to adopt an element of caution in order to avoid any
discrepancy across the duration of the race weekend.
And so: it has been seven years since the title last went right down to
the wire. Back then, Rossi headed to the Ricardo Tormo circuit with an
eight-point cushion back to Hayden, but an unexpected fall from number
46 left him an unlucky 13th by the time the chequered flag flew. The title was Hayden’s as the Kentucky Kid finished third.
This time around, a single fourth place is all Marquez requires,
regardless of whether Lorenzo wins the race or not. Although sometimes
that is easier said than done. One race remains out of 18 and the title
battle is still wide open. Place your bets…
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