- 2018-04-09
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SPORTS
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ MotoGP Argentina: Cal Crutchlow takes win, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi collide
The Round 2 on MotoGP 2018, Argentina Grand Prix took place at the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina on April 8, 2018.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) claimed his third Premier Class victory since 2016's Australia GP. The 2nd place was Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and 3rd place was Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar), both riders took the podium for the first time in 2018 season. Especially, Alex Rins took his first MotoGP podium.
This marks Honda made 750 Grand Prix wins for the Japanese marque. The wins have been accrued across seven different categories: 13 in 50cc, 164 in 125cc, 43 in Moto3™, 207 in 250cc, 35 in 350cc, 156 in 500cc and 131 in MotoGP.
It all began back in 1961, when the first ever win for Honda was taken by Australian Tom Phillis in the 125cc race at Montjuïc in Barcelona.
A polesitter Jack Miller finished the fourth place. Qatar GP winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was sixth behind Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha).
The race was so strange. The track was wet condition when the MotoGP warm-up started. Most of rididers except Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) choosed wet tyres. But with the track surface drying quickly and the scheduled race start time edging ever closer, riders began to pull into the pitlane en masse to switch to dry tyres.
As more abandoned their grid slots and began to queue up at pitlane exit, Miller was soon left as the only rider on the grid.
The organisers delayed the start, citing safety concerns, and following an impromptu team boss meeting, all riders but Miller were moved several rows back, leaving the Australian sitting solo at the sharp end of the grid.
Before the race starts, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) had issue with the bike and moved the bike from the grid. After beginning the race, he was given the ride-through on lap five of 24, which dropped him down to 19th.
Marc Marquez chased the top group from 19th, but he collided with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) at the Turn 13 on 20 laps.
Marc Marquez took fifth, but was hit with a 30-second penalty that dropped him down to 18th. Valentino Rossi took the chequered flag in 19th.
Cal Crutchlow said after the race;
“If it was a normal race Marc would have been very, very strong as we were the second-fastest this weekend apart from Marc in the dry conditions. We had a terrible qualifying but we are very happy to leave here with a victory.
These guys ran very well and full credit to them. I won at the slowest possible speed because I didn’t need to take any risks for the championship.
My front tyre was way too soft for me, too steps softer than what we ran here last year, and I was having a lot of movement at the start of the race with a full tank in the braking zones. I tried to save that and I stayed at a decent gap. I also chose a lot of different lines in the wet to them because in case one of them crashed I didn’t want to be taken out of the race through someone else crashing.
I knew in the end I could pick them off and I knew that I could be there at the end of the race, first and foremost, and I knew where I could pass and where I couldn’t pass.
We did a good job, my team has done a fantastic job all winter in the pre-season and Honda have done a fantastic job with the engine over the winter so we have to give credit to my team and to them for this victory."
Grand Prix of Argentina Race Results- Cal Crutchlow / LCR Honda / 40m 36.342s
- Johann Zarco / Monster Yamaha Tech3 / 40m 36.593s
- Alex Rins / Suzuki Ecstar / 40m 38.843s
- Jack Miller / Pramac Ducati / 40m 40.732s
- Maverick Vinales / Movistar Yamaha / 40m 51.283s
- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati Team / 40m 58.875s
- Tito Rabat / Reale Avintia / 40m 59.368s
- Andrea Iannone / Suzuki Ecstar / 41m 0.263s
- Hafizh Syahrin / Monster Yamaha Tech3 / 41m 0.653s
- Danilo Petrucci / Pramac Ducati / 41m 2.345s
- Pol Espargaro / Red Bull KTM Factory / 41m 7.364s
- Scott Redding / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 41m 8.233s
- Takaaki Nakagami / LCR Honda / 41m 8.794s
- Franco Morbidelli / EG 0,0 Marc VDS / 41m 18.403s
- Jorge Lorenzo / Ducati Team / 41m 18.616s
- Alvaro Bautista / Angel Nieto Team / 41m 18.967s
- Thomas Luthi / EG 0,0 Marc VDS / 41m 19.692s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda / 41m 20.202s
- Valentino Rossi / Movistar Yamaha / 41m 28.424s
- Karel Abraham / Angel Nieto Team / 41m 40.286s
- Xavier Simeon / Reale Avintia / 41m 46.486s
- source : MotoGP
