Moto2 World Championship: Race Results From Sepang (Updated)

Moto2 World Championship: Race Results From Sepang (Updated)

© 2019, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. By John Ulrich.

Pole Position: 2:05.244, Alex Marquez, 2019

Fastest Lap: 2:05.860, Alex Marquez, 2019

Moto2 All-Time Lap Record: 2:04.769, Brad Binder, 2019

 

FIM Moto2 World Championship

Sepang International Circuit

Sepang, Malaysia

November 3, 2019

Race Results (all using Triumph engines and Dunlop tires):

  1. Brad Binder, South Africa (KTM), 18 laps, 99.774 km, 38:07.843
  2. Alex Marquez, Spain (Kalex), -0.758-second
  3. Tom Luthi, Switzerland (Kalex), -2.683 seconds
  4. Xavi Vierge, Spain (Kalex), -6.646
  5. Jorge Navarro, Spain (Speed Up), -7.114
  6. Iker Lecuona, Spain (KTM), -8.582
  7. Lorenzo Baldassarri, Italy (Kalex), -9.232
  8. Tetsuta Nagashima, Japan (Kalex), -10.180
  9. Marcel Schrotter, Germany (Kalex), -10.807
  10. Luca Marini, Italy (Kalex), -14.585
  11. Augusto Fernandez, Spain (Kalex), -16.521
  12. Nicolo Bulega, Italy (Kalex), -22.333
  13. Mattia Pasini, Italy (Kalex), -23.326
  14. Remy Gardner, Australia (Kalex), -23.810
  15. Dominique Aegerter, Switzerland (MV Agusta), -24.002
  16. Andrea Locatelli, Italy (Kalex), -24.055
  17. Jake Dixon, UK (KTM), -27.663
  18. Dimas Ekky Pratama, Indonesia (Kalex), -29.445
  19. Joe Roberts, USA (KTM), -30.896
  20. Jesko Raffin, Switzerland (Kalex), -37.044
  21. Philipp Oettl, Germany (KTM), -50.548
  22. Lukas Tulovic, Germany (KTM), -54.921
  23. Xavi Cardelus, Andorra (KTM), -60.678
  24. Enea Bastianini, Italy (Kalex), -1 lap, crash
  25. Sam Lowes, UK (Kalex), -5 laps, DNF, crash

 

  1. Marco Bezzecchi, Italy (KTM), -6 laps, DNF, crash
  2. Stefano Manzi, Italy (MV Agusta), -8 laps, DNF, crash
  3. Somkat Chantra, Thailand (Kalex), -10 laps, DNF, crash
  4. Fabio Di Giannantonio, Italy (Speed Up), -11 laps, DNF, crash
  5. Adam Norrodin, Malaysia (Kalex), -13 laps, DNF, crash
  6. Jorge Martin, Spain (KTM), -16 laps, DNF, crash
  7. Bo Bendsneyder, Netherlands (NTS), -18 laps, DNF, crash

 

World Championship Point Standings (after 18 of 19 races):

  1. Marquez, 262 points (clinched 2019 World Championship)
  2. Binder, 234
  3. Luthi, 230
  4. Navarro, 210
  5. Fernandez, 197
  6. Marini, 182
  7. Baldassarri, 171
  8. Schrotter, 137
  9. Di Giannantonio, 101
  10. Bastianini, 95

27. TIE, Dixon/Roberts, 4

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Alex Marquez crowned Moto2™ World Champion in Malaysia
The Spaniard becomes the first ever to win the Moto2™ and Moto3™ crowns

2019 FIM Moto2 World Champion Alex Marquez. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.com.

Sunday, 03 November 2019
After an impressive season in the intermediate class, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) has made some history in the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, taking second place to crown himself 2019 Moto2™ World Champion and become the first ever to take both the Moto2™ and Moto3™ crowns. The number 73 has taken five wins, 10 podiums and six poles this season so far.

Marquez debuted on the world stage in 2012, the same season he would go on to win the FIM CEV Spanish national title. He made three Grand Prix wildcard appearances with Estrella Galicia 0,0, impressing early on as he took sixth place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after fighting at the front. At Indianapolis, Marquez also took over from Simone Grotzkyj at Ambrogio Next Racing, with whom he’d make eight appearances and take another top ten before the year was out.

For 2013, Marquez moved up to Moto3™ full time with Estrella Galicia 0,0 and a first podium wasn’t too long in coming as the Spaniard got on the box at Indianapolis. Before the season was out, Marquez would also become a Grand Prix winner, coming out on top at a track that would go on to see him take a few more successes: the Twin Ring Motegi. 2014, then, seemed like game on for a shot at the crown.

Now on Honda machinery but with the same team, the season became a duel between Marquez and Jack Miller that went right down to the wire and a crucial decider in Valencia. Marquez took the crown, with three wins and seven further podiums enough to wrap it up on home turf and take his first title.

From there, the intermediate class beckoned with EG 0,0 Marc VDS. It was a tougher rookie season, but Marquez took regular top tens and took a best finish of fourth twice in a row. The following year began almost tougher than the first, but Marquez pulled it together mid-season and took his first intermediate class podium on home turf at Aragon. The next step was clear: a win.

That came in 2017 as Marquez took a step forward to become a regular frontrunner, taking top fives and podiums more often than not. He also took his first wins in Moto2™  – the very first proving a demolition job at Jerez from his first pole in the class. Two more victories rounded out the year – Barcelona-Catalunya and Motegi – and Marquez was fourth overall despite a mid-season injury that saw him sit out Misano.

In 2018, Marquez was expected to challenge for the title but the season was an unexpectedly tougher one. The number 73 didn’t take a win, although he did take another six podiums and remain a threat at the front. Would 2019 be any different? Most definitely.

The year began with a more muted race in Qatar but a first podium came in Argentina to kick off Marquez’ real challenge. Top gear would be hit a little later in the year but not without a couple of hurdles – the first of which was getting crashed out of the race in Jerez after a front row start. 0 scored on his first visit to home turf, the time was nigh to fight back – and so began a stunning run of victories.

At Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya, Marquez ruled for his first ever three-in-a-row, and he looked able to make it four at Assen before getting crashed out there. Undeterred, the number 73 took up right where he left off in Germany and Czechia, taking another two victories.

Three more podiums in the next four races and only one self-made mistake at Silverstone saw Marquez remain the man in charge, with an advantage that made the flyaways pivotal. A fifth and sixth at Buriram and Motegi were enough to give him a first match point at Phillip Island, but it was a longer shot and after a P8 in the race, the battle rolled on to Malaysia…

From pole, Marquez put together an impressive race, duelling for the lead with key rival Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and holding off his closest challenger Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) under immense pressure. Taking second place and yet another podium, his tenth visit to the rostrum was enough to secure him the crown.

The 2019 Moto2™ World Champion is Alex Marquez!

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Racing:

Alex Márquez becomes 2019 Moto2 World Champion

Alex Márquez shrugged off relentless pressure from his title rivals to finish second in the Malaysian Grand Prix, a result that confirms him as the 2019 Moto2 World Champion, as Xavi Vierge claims an excellent fourth.

 

Alex Márquez is the 2019 Moto2 World Champion thanks to a faultless performance at the Malaysian Grand Prix where he finished second after a race-long battle with title rivals Brad Binder and Thomas Luthi.

 

The result means Márquez is now an insurmountable 28 points ahead of Brad Binder with just one race to play. It is the 23-year old’s second World Championship success, after he won the Moto3 title in 2014.

 

Márquez is the third rider to win the Moto2 World Championship for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS, after Tito Rabat’s success in 2014 and Franco Morbidelli’s in 2017. Incidentally all three riders celebrated their championship win in Malaysia.

 

In a great day for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS, Xavi Vierge secured fourth place in the 18-lap race, his best result of 2019.

 

After slotting into second place behind Brad Binder at turn one, the 23-year old immediately began applying pressure to the South African, breaking the official Moto2 lap record of the Sepang International Circuit on lap two (2’05.860).

 

Márquez enjoyed a four-lap spell in the lead after Binder made a mistake at turn twelve. But by lap eight, his rival had re-taken the lead at the first turn.

 

From there, Márquez maintained his calm and resisted a late charge from Thomas Luthi in the closing laps to finish second, 0.7s behind Binder and 1.9s ahead of the Swiss rider. He celebrated the 2019 Moto2 title with members of his team and older brother Marc on the slowdown lap.

 

Alex Marquez: 
 
“I feel like I’m living a dream”

“I’m so, so happy and so thankful to the team. They did an amazing job and gave me the confidence throughout the season and especially this weekend. We came here after some hard races where I was struggling a lot. Today was a really tough race but we managed it in the best way. From lap one the front tyre was difficult to control. The grip was low but I managed the pressure from Luthi behind in the best way. He was pushing quite a lot. But we did a great race. I feel like I’m living a dream and I just want to enjoy this moment with the team.”

 

Maintaining his qualifying position of fourth at turn one, Vierge quickly found his rhythm as he contested third place with Tetsuta Nagashima and Luthi.

Vierge dropped behind Luthi to fifth on lap four then spent the majority of the race dicing with Nagashima. He passed the Japanese rider for fourth on lap 15 and took the chequered flag 6.6 seconds behind the race winner.

An excellent fourth place is Vierge’s third top-6 finish of 2019 and his best result in the Moto2 class since last year’s Australian Grand Prix.

 

 Xavi Vierge:
 
“I am very happy, fourth place and finishing close to the podium”

“I’m really happy. Not only for the race, but our performance all weekend. In Australia we found a good base setting. We made a mistake in the race but we found the way. Here from the beginning we started in the same way and I felt really good. Working with the same bike all weekend I could improve my riding style. Finally I had the rhythm and in the race I tried my best. Fourth place and finishing close to the podium wasn’t bad. However today the most important thing is to congratulate all the team, especially my team-mate Alex Márquez. He’s had an amazing season and today he achieved his goal. Congrats!”

Joan Olivé

Team manager
 
“Alex deserves this title more than anyone this year”
“I’m really happy about today. I can’t imagine a better end for the race and the championship. The first thing is to congratulate Alex for the amazing race he did. It was a really tough race, with Binder and Luthi close to him. He had to be really concentrated but he showed why he is the World Champion. He deserves this title more than anyone this year and today he showed why. Xavi did his best weekend of the year. He achieved this fourth place and I’m really happy for him after a difficult year and a tough run of races. Now we’ll focus on the last race at Valencia to enjoy it, to enjoy this championship and this moment.”

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