Losail: 0.027 in it
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) picked up where they left off from the 2017 season as they went head-to-head at the opening round of the season under the lights in Qatar, the gap at the line just 27 thousandths of a season between the duo…
Termas de Rio Hondo: a race to forget
Risking it all after being given a ride through penalty for riding the wrong way up the starting grid before the start of the race. Desperate to make up the lost ground, Marquez aggressively made his way through the pack with a penultimate corner clash with rival Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a huge talking point. 30 seconds the penalty given to the number 93 which saw him finish outside the points.
Austin: The undisputed reign goes on
Marquez had been denied a sixth consecutive pole in Austin after he was given a three-place grid penalty after he was judged to have blocked Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) during qualifying. However, come race day, he was unstoppable. After only 11 corners from P4 on the grid, he was in the lead and made no mistake to power to victory…
Jerez: two in a row
Marquez seized control of the race after eight laps with his three pursuers of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and then Championship leader Dovizioso all crashing out at Turn 6. Subsequently, Marquez marched to victory, giving him the title race lead.
Le Mans: a 2018 hattrick
During the French GP, three of Marquez’ four closest Championship threats all suffered DNFs: Dovizioso, Zarco and Iannone. A third victory in a row extended the Spaniard’s lead in the overall standings.
Mugello: his only Sunday afternoon crash
The Italian GP would see Marquez suffer his only crash during a race in 2018. Still, 23 points was his margin heading to one of his home rounds.
Barcelona: important points
There was no stopping Lorenzo for the second race in a row but a P2 meant 20 more points were on the board, with a main title rival crashing…
Assen: win number four
Arguably one of the greatest races we’ve ever seen was contested at the Dutch GP and it was Marquez who took P1 after a pulsating battle. Victory number four of the season.
Sachsenring: another favourite playground
Marquez’ reign in Germany is simple: nine races, nine wins. Starting from pole for the sixth time in a row, the Spaniard dispatched Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) after 13 laps and wouldn’t be caught again…
Brno: Ducati fight back
The end of the race in the Czech Republic would see Marquez take on the Ducatis of Dovizioso and Lorenzo. Sandwiched between the two Desmosedici GP18s, Marquez did his best, but the GP18s had too much for the Honda in the end – 0.368 separating the trio in a classic encounter…
Red Bull Ring: déjà vu
Marquez got the stronger start from pole and would lead for 2/3rds of the race, but Lorenzo and Dovizioso hunted the Honda rider down to set up another Marquez vs Ducati duel in Austria. In the end, it would be the two Spaniard’s scrapping it out for victory…
Misano: more points in the bag
The same three riders were at the forefront in Misano, but Dovi had a little extra on both Marquez and Lorenzo. The latter two were fighting for second until Lorenzo hit the floor with two laps to go, giving Marquez valuable Championship points. The Ducati stranglehold on the second half of the season was still yet to be broken though…
Aragon: Marquez breaks Ducati spell
Another Marquez vs Dovi duel played out at the number 93’s home round and it was he who would emerge victorious to end Ducati’s win streak. A huge step towards a seventh title…
Buriram: payback
Marquez had never come out on top in a last lap duel vs a Desmosedici machine, until Thailand: Dovi led onto the final lap but it would be the Spaniard who would out-fox his rival. It was roles reversed at the final corner between the two as Marquez took a 77-point lead to the Twin Ring Motegi.
Motegi: game, set, match
Starting from an equal worst grid position of P6, Marquez had work to do if he was to beat pole man Dovizioso and take the title in Honda’s backyard. However, this is exactly what he did. Another high-speed chess game played out between the top two in the Championship before the Ducati rider crashed with two laps remaining, handing the 2018 MotoGP™ World Championship to the number 93. Level 7 achieved!