A touchdown at the Kuala Lumpur airport on October 28 and the MotoGP (Motorcycle Grand Prix) fever was hard to miss. Right at the exit stood a placard of TX Travel proclaiming itself as the “authorised Sepang International Circuit ticket agent in Indonesia”. It was clear, of course, who the authorised ticket agent backed in the race of motorcycles. Ducati’s number four rider is Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian, who is giving the current topper Repsol Honda’s (the official factory team of Repsol S.A. and Honda Racing Corporation) Marc Marquez a good run for the championship title. But the last laugh will be had only after the Sunday (November 12) afternoon race.
Meanwhile, we were there on the invite of Honda Two Wheelers who were looking to wrap up both the rider’s title and the constructor’s title in the penultimate round of MotoGP 2017 to be played out at the Sepang circuit. The driver who transported me from the airport to the hotel pointed out the circuit that is close to the airport. “MotoGP to happen here,” he vaguely gestured towards a direction.
Back at the hotel, flags proclaiming Honda Asian Journey 2017 fluttered as motorcyclists, journalists, riders, enthusiasts from the Asia and Oceania region gathered to ride to the circuit to witness the Malaysia MotoGP.
The Sepang International Circuit was to have seen the wrapping up of the MotoGP 2017 rider’s and constructor’s titles. So confident was the Repsol Honda team with its principal rider Marc Marquez’s performance that it was a foregone conclusion as he started the Malaysian MotoGP with a 33-point lead over his rival. But no race is over till its won. And the prelims did not augur well for Marquez as he crashed early but finished to start seventh on race day. However, there was some consolation as second Repsol Honda rider Dani Petrosa took pole position.
On the eve of the final race Petrosa and Marquez made an appearance for an evening party, shaking hands and posing for photographs with riders from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and India. With no trace of nerves or jitters, the two stayed back till late in the evening to oblige shutterbugs and autograph hunters.
On the final day, with thunderstorms gathering, it was a wet track for Marquez to prove his mettle. He took an incredible holeshot (driver with the strongest start) but then headed wide with Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo. It was Johann Zarco on his green Monster Yamaha Tech 3 who sliced through into the lead and zoomed into the distance. As Lorenzo chased the Tech 3 rider, Marquez was in the third slot with Andrea Dovizioso on his Ducati in fourth. It wasn’t long before the Italian zoomed ahead of Marquez and then Zarco’s lead began to diminish as the two Ducatis surged ahead of Tech 3.
Lorenzo stayed in the lead till Turn 15 when he suffered a moment as he took a foot off the footpeg and Dovi seized the chance to lead the race. Lorenzo was just 0.743 seconds behind Dovi’s 44 minutes 51.497 seconds. The Frenchman Zarco 9.738 seconds behind. Marquez came a distant fourth with pole-sitter Dani fifth.
While the rider’s title goes down to the wire at the final MotoGP at Valencia tomorrow, Repsol Honda wrapped up the constructor’s title at Sepang.
Anasuya Basu
