NEW WIN FOR MÁRQUEZ IN A A FLAG TO FLAG RACE

Marc Márquez extends his lead in the standings with victory at Brno, as the first rider to change bikes.

With a third consecutive victory, Márquez increases his lead to 14 points over his nearest rival.

The race was declared wet but dried fast, and the Repsol Honda rider was the first to change bikes after the second lap.

This is the fifth victory for Márquez in a flag to flag race, after those achieved in the GPs in Holland in 2014, San Marino in 2015, Argentina in 2016 and Germany in 2016.

Marc Márquez: “This was a very special Sunday because everyone was racing for Angel Nieto, but it was also a very challenging race. On the grid, I took the risk to use the soft rear tyre because I thought it would give me extra grip for five laps before pitting to change bikes, but it didn’t go like that. I soon started to struggle a lot and lost many positions. When I saw that, I decided to immediately get in and take the risk of the slicks. When I re-joined the race, honestly it was still too damp in some parts and I nearly crashed during the first lap out. When you go out for the flag-to-flag, it’s so difficult to get the feeling with the bike again, but I tried to quickly understand the grip. Honestly, today I took some risks but it was one of those days when you just have to do it. After pulling a great gap, I just tried to manage, to ride well, and to finish the race. I’m really very happy with the result. It’s a track I normally struggle at, one I worry about every year, and getting 25 points was very important. Thanks to the team for another great job! We did the correct strategy during the summer break, coming here to test, and we arrived here prepared. We’re improving step by step. The Championship is still very, very tight; we must be able to be fast in every condition.”