Pedrosa Wins Repsol Honda’s 100th MotoGP Race, Chased by Marquez

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) scored a glorious and historic one-two result in today’s Spanish Grand Prix. Not only was this the 3000th Grand Prix race since World Championship racing began in June 1949, it was also the Repsol Honda Team’s 100th victory since the advent of the four-stroke premier class in 2002.

Pedrosa’s inch-perfect success completed Honda’s Jerez joy following the earlier Moto3 victory of Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda NSF250RW). These two successes increased Honda’s all-time Grand Prix win tally to 729 victories, which means the company has won almost a quarter of the 3000 solo races across the six classes that have featured in the championships: 50cc, 125cc, 250cc 350cc, 500cc and MotoGP. Honda’s five-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500) won the last landmark race, the 2000th, at Suzuka, Japan, in April 1997.

Spaniards Pedrosa and Marquez dominated their home Grand Prix weekend from the outset, with Pedrosa topping the first three practice sessions, Marquez the fourth and Pedrosa taking pole position in qualifying. Today’s race also gave Pedrosa his first win since last September’s San Marino GP.

Pedrosa’s ride to his 30th MotoGP victory was pure perfection. The 31-year-old led from the start, set the fastest lap of the race on lap three and was never headed. But he spent the entire 27 laps under huge pressure from Marquez, who won last time out in the USA. By one-third distance Pedrosa had squeezed a 1.5 second advantage over his fellow RC213V rider, but the pair had chosen different rear tires, Pedrosa using the medium option, despite today being the hottest day of the event. Meanwhile Marquez, who weighs more than his team-mate, chose the hard option rear.

In the last half of the race 24-year-old Marquez began to chip away at the leader’s advantage, until he was less than a second behind with a few laps remaining. But then the reigning champion had a couple of moments which convinced him to settle for second place and 20 points.

Pedrosa’s third MotoGP win at Jerez (after his successes in 2008 and 2013) and his 25-point haul puts the top four riders in the championship within ten points of each other after four of 18 races, with Marquez in third place, just four points behind leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), who could only manage tenth place today. Pedrosa is fourth overall, six points down on Marquez.

Marquez gave it all he had, as usual. He kept stealing a tenth or two from the leader, but each time he inched closer, Pedrosa resisted and reacted. The pair were never alongside each other, but their duel crackled with tension throughout, until Marquez realized he must be happy with second place.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda RC213V) might have made it three Hondas on the podium, after starting the race from an all-Honda front row, alongside Pedrosa and Marquez. The Briton, who finished third and fourth in last month’s Argentine and Americas Grands Prix, was chasing another top-three finish when he tumbled out of the race on lap six. He had already shown that he had the pace for the podium – he rode the third fastest lap of the race, less than two tenths behind Pedrosa’s best.

Honda’s other two riders suffered the same fate as Crutchlow. Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) was chasing a fourth consecutive top-ten result when he was taken out by another rider.

Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) also crashed, falling from his RC213V at turn two on lap ten. The former Moto2 World Champion was battered and bruised in the fall but not seriously hurt.

MotoGP teams stay at Jerez for a one-day test tomorrow, before heading north to Le Mans for the French Grand Prix on May 21.

Dani Pedrosa

“I’m super-happy with this win in Jerez, a track that I love very much, and in front of my family, my friends, and all these amazing fans. I’m enjoying this emotion so much, more than I would’ve done a few years ago, in a more ‘conscious’ way. I’ve had a great feeling all weekend, and the team have worked so well; we’re getting better race by race and I’m very happy for them as well. We knew we were in a position to have the race we actually did. I felt the tension a little bit before the start, but I remained concentrated and got away well at the start and just went for it. Today the track conditions were a bit worse than yesterday and the front was sliding quite a lot. I chose the hard front because of today’s high temperature, even if the medium was my favorite. The pace probably would’ve been faster with the medium, but anyway I was happy with my choice. When Marc started to push, we started a little battle like yesterday in qualifying. I knew he was very fast but I was determined to keep a gap on him. It was easy to make a mistake, to lose the front, so it was a matter of staying on the limit without going over it. It went well, it was a marvelous weekend, and we now must continue at this level. It’s also a special honor to be the winner of the 3,000th Grand Prix race and be alongside riders like Mick (Doohan, who won the 200th race) and Angel (Nieto, who won the 1000th race).”

Marc Marquez

“I’m happy with today’s second place here at Jerez, a track that isn’t among my favorites, and having been able to be competitive and fight at a high level is very positive. Today Dani was really fast, as he has been over the whole weekend, in the wet and the dry. We got closer and closer session after session, but it was difficult to keep his pace. Today I tried to push, to put pressure on him, but even before the race I knew that Dani is very strong here. He’s also very good when conditions are really warm like today, because for me the front tire is too soft; I mean, I chose the harder option today but even that was too soft for me. I tried to manage during the entire race, and I pushed. In the end I had a few risky moments, so I checked where Valentino and Vinales were and said to myself, Okay, second place is fine. I’m very happy with the result, to be just four points off the top and to be back in the battle for the championship. The classification is very close and things are going to be very interesting. We must keep working as we’ve done so far. I dedicate this good result to my mum as today is Mother’s Day in Spain.”

Cal Crutchlow

“Obviously I’m disappointed not to finish at a track where I felt strong. In the race I felt I was managing the situation and the tires very well. I was close to Marc and my pace wasn’t so bad. Unfortunately on lap six I went into Turn 11, carrying good speed in there like I’d done the lap before, but when I opened the throttle the front tire tucked. It was a mistake, so we have to keep our confidence for the next round at Le Mans, which I think will be better for us. Today I missed the opportunity of a podium, so I’m disappointed for myself and for the team. Now we regroup and discuss things with Honda for the next race.”

Jack Miller

“It was a positive weekend until the race, I had good pace in practice and felt comfortable with the bike. I got a good start but got caught up with a bunch of other riders on laps three and four and almost got cleaned up a couple of times. Then Alvaro threw it in deep on the brakes, lost the front and took me out when I was on target for another top-ten finish. It was real shame but the positives are that I had great pace and I can take that forward to the race at Le Mans.”

Tito Rabat

“It was a little strange in the race, the conditions were slippery and I couldn’t feel the front tire 100 percent but after I got ahead of Bradley Smith and into 13th place I tucked the front and crashed. But I was happy with my speed here and the work from the team which is building my confidence and I’m looking forward to the test on Monday and then the race in Le Mans.”