Qatar MotoGP: Marquez storms to victory

Reigning champion Marc Marquez battled through the pain barrier of a broken leg to take victory at the Losail circuit.

The Repsol Honda rider started from pole position and had to battle with Stefan Bradl and Valentino Rossi to take 25 points.

Rossi made Marquez fight right to the wire, with the pair swapping places several times on the penultimate lap. Rossi was the sole Yamaha to finish the race, in second place.

Dani Pedrosa finished in third place, although he was unable to match the pace of the leading duo.

Factory Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo got the holeshot, but crashed out on the first lap. Tech 3 Yamaha rider Pol Espargaro retired in the latter half of the race while Bradley Smith crashed out of fifth place on lap 18.

Smith was circulating just off the back of the leading group and had a very strong race up until his crash.

Bradl was another crasher, crashing out of the lead on lap eight.

Cal Crutchlow finished sixth in his Ducati debut, coasting over the line behind team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

Scott Redding, who has been struggling on the open class Honda RCV1000R crossed the line in seventh place after battling with Nicky Hayden.

1 25 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 166.4 42’40.561
2 20 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 166.3 +0.259
3 16 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 166.1 +3.370
4 13 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 165.6 +11.623
5 11 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 165.6 +12.159
6 10 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Ducati Team Ducati 164.5 +28.526
7 9 45 Scott REDDING GBR GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 164.3 +32.593
8 8 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Drive M7 Aspar Honda 164.3 +32.628
9 7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 163.8 +39.547
10 6 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 163.6 +43.360
11 5 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Drive M7 Aspar Honda 163.4 +46.595
12 4 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 163.4 +46.688
13 3 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Honda 163.1 +50.581
14 2 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA IodaRacing Project ART 162.4 +1’03.127
15 1 23 Broc PARKES AUS Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 161.7 +1’14.386
16  70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 160.5 +1’32.593
17  63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Avintia 160.3 +1’36.085
Not Classified
  19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 166.2 2 Laps
  38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 166.1 4 Laps
  44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 165.0 5 Laps
  6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 165.6 14 Laps
  8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Avintia 160.7 18 Laps
  99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha  0 Lap