Marc Marquez on Sunday survived a first-lap collision with his brother Alex Marquez to win the Qatar MotoGP, for a seventh victory in eight races this season.
“Luckily for both of us we stayed on the bike,” Marc Marquez said.
Alex Marquez ran into the back of his brother’s Ducati at the second corner. Marc Marquez lost ground, but recovered to finish 1.8 seconds ahead of Spaniard Maverick Vinales on a KTM. Vinales was later penalized for illegal tire pressure, promoting Francesco Bagnaia, on a factory Ducati, to second and Franco Morbidelli, on a Ducati VR46, to third.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Reigning champion Jorge Martin, racing this weekend for the first time after a couple of bone-breaking pre-season crashes, fell again and was later admitted to a hospital with a chest injury.
Marc Marquez started from pole, but at the first corner his brother rammed into his rear wheel.
“First corner I did a mistake, for that reason Alex hit me,” Marc Marquez said. “I slide a bit and maybe he didn’t expect that.”
His brother agreed.
“I didn’t expect him there,” Alex Marquez said.
Thirty-two-year-old Marc Marquez finished the weekend at a track where he had not won since 2014 by taking two victories, pole position and the course lap record.
After starting the weekend one point behind his brother, he ended it 17 points clear in the standings.
“The most important weekend of the season so far because it is one of my weak circuits,” he said. “But I was able to come back to the top of the championship.”
Marc Marquez took his third Sunday victory in four race weekends this season. He has also won every sprint. His only miss came in Austin where he crashed while leading.
“One way to make up for the mistake of Austin,” he said, adding that he needed to learn from the past two races. “When it’s difficult, I’m more concentrated. When it’s easy I make stupid mistakes I need to avoid.”
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