Tenth place for Marc Marquez in the 23-lap race was the only reward for the Repsol Honda Tam after three intense days of work in Mugello, Pol Espargaro crashing out of the race early.
Stable weather returned to the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley for race day once the overnight rain had dried. There were then no signs of the forecasted rain as the grid lined up for the 23-lap race. A great start aboard the RC213V saw Marc Marquez challenge the top five from 11th on the grid in the early stages as he pushed to stay with the leaders. Consistent pace in the high 1’47s to low 1’48s saw him defend his position as best he could, working to stay inside the top ten throughout the race. Crossing the line in 10th place after overtaking Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team leave Italy with six more points.
Marc Marquez will now prepare for the fourth surgery on his right humerus, flying to the United States on Tuesday and therefore missing the Catalan Grand Prix.
It was a disappointing day for Pol Espargaro who crashed at Turn 9 after dropping back early in the race. He was unharmed in the fall. A poor launch off the line led to Espargaro losing contact with the group ahead and was then unable to settle into his rhythm with the constant battling.
Elsewhere, Ai Ogura moved to become joint leader of the Moto2 World Championship standings after a spirited ride to third place.
The Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona is the next challenge for the Repsol Honda Team as they leave Italy and immediately head towards round nine. Pol Espargaro will be hoping to return to his early season form in front of his home fans.
See you soon Marc.