Marquez leads with 50th career win at Czech MotoGP

BRNO, Czech Republic: Honda’s Marc Marquez claimed his 50th career race win with victory at the Czech MotoGP on Sunday after the race had originally been delayed by 45 minutes due to rain.

Spain’s defending champion beat Ducati’s Italian Andrea Dovizioso by 2.4sec to extend his advantage at the top of the riders’ standings with his sixth triumph of the season. Australian Jack Miller pipped Alex Rins to third spot for his second podium of the campaign in a race cut by one lap due to adverse weather conditions.

Rins had accused fellow countryman Marquez of having ‘no respect’ for other riders after coming together with the five-time world champion during Saturday’s qualifier. Rins was angered by what he saw as Marquez altering his line and making contact with him during the second session of the day.

Suzuki had also filed a complaint against Marquez echoing their rider’s comments but race organisers decided against taking further action. Earlier in the day, Marc’s brother Alex also made the most of pole position to dominate the Moto2 to register his fifth win of the season.

The Kalex rider, who was on hand to embrace Marc after his MotoGP win, now heads the Moto2 championship standings on 161 points, 33 clear of his Swiss teammate Thomas Luthi. Luthi had to retire from the race in Brno after a fall 16 laps from the end. Marquez crossed the line more than three seconds up on Italy’s Fabio Di Giannantonio with Enea Bastianini in third.

In Moto3, Aron Canet won his second race of the season to retake the championship lead. The Spanish KTM rider, who started sixth on the grid, heads the standings by three points from Honda’s Lorenzo Dalla Porta, who finished second in this 10th leg of the season.