Marc Marquez wins Czech GP sprint after penalty scare
Marquez and factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia were both forced to slow down during the race and surrender first and second place due to low tyre pressure, or risk incurring an eight-second penalty.
Six-times champion Marquez relinquished his lead but was able to overtake KTM's Pedro Acosta with two laps remaining and cross the finish line first, with MotoGP later confirming that no further action would be taken against Marquez.
Acosta's teammate Enea Bastiani ended in third.
Asked if he had done enough to avoid a penalty, Marquez said: "Yeah, we did it. For that reason, I'm smiling. So it's true that it was super towards the limit. And yeah, we're riding comfortable.
"Then I saw that the pressure was not enough. I tried to push some laps on the brakes, but I saw that was too much risk to get on that correct pressure. And then I decided to wait.
"I just stayed super close to Acosta to increase the temperature. And then when I saw the temperature was already inside the rules, pressure was inside the rules, then I pushed in the last few laps."
Marquez leads the riders' championship table with 356 points, with his second-placed younger brother Alex, who finished 17th after a disastrous start, 95 points behind on 261.
Pole-sitter Bagnaia finished seventh after he was overtaken by Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in the final lap.
Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin ended in 11th on his return to competition after suffering a collapsed lung and bruised ribs in a crash in Qatar in April.
South Africa's Brad Binder finished 10th.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
20 minutes ago
- The South African
'Jose Riveiro wanted me back' – U/20 international
Egypt U/20 international Ahmed Khaled Kabaka says Jose Riveiro wanted him to return to Al Ahly following his loan spell at Modern Sport. The midfielder also credited former Modern Sport coach Talaat Yousef and the club's CEO Haitham Orabi, giving him the motivation to perform well during the brief loan spell 'My loan period was a success, and being promoted from the youth team to the first team with the coach's trust is a wonderful feeling,' Kabaka said as per Soccer Laduma . 'Haitham Orabi played a big role in giving me confidence and motivating me to do my best.' 'Despite the difficulty of that stage, with changes in coaches and the jump from one level to another, I consider it a successful experience. I thank Talaat Youssef, who made a big difference in my character both on and off the pitch. He taught me discipline and what it means to be a true professional,' Kabaka added. The 20-year-old said the former Orlando Pirates coach pushed for him to return to Al Ahly before his loan deal concluded. 'Returning to Al Ahly was an important step in my career,' said the youngster. 'The decision to cut my loan short came from coach Jose Riveiro, who watched me before the Club World Cup. Wearing the Al Ahly shirt is an honour for any player.' 'Playing among big-name stars at Al Ahly makes getting a chance difficult, but I believe in my potential and will fight for an opportunity,' Kabaka said. 'I received offers after the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, but I've always respected the club's decisions. I'm at the club's service—whether I stay or move abroad, I'll be proud of whatever decision is made about my future,' he concluded. Jose Riveiro has not had a good start to his Al Ahly tenure. The team performed poorly at the FIFA Club World Cup, failing to reach the next round of the competition. The 49-year-old Spaniard has introduced an intense fitness programme for pre-season as he looks to improve his side following a poor 2024/25 season. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
eNCA
7 hours ago
- eNCA
Messi double as Miami bounce back against Red Bulls
MIAMI - Lionel Messi rediscovered his scoring touch with two goals as Inter Miami bounced back from defeat to complete a 5-1 drubbing of the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer on Saturday. Messi's red-hot season was rocked on Wednesday as Miami stumbled to a 3-0 defeat against FC Cincinnati. But the Argentinian superstar was back to his inspired best as Miami turned on the style at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey to record an emphatic victory. The Red Bulls had threatened to deliver another upset after Alexander Hack bundled home a 14th-minute opener to fire the hosts into an early lead. But Messi swiftly orchestrated Inter Miami's recovery from that setback, providing a sublime pass to set up former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Alba's equaliser in the 24th minute. Messi then combined with Alba for Miami's second goal, producing another brilliant pass to pick out the Spaniard, who crossed for Telasco Segovia to prod home on 27 minutes. Segovia then swept in his second of the night deep into first-half stoppage time to leave Miami firmly in control. Messi then took over in the second half as Miami cut loose. A majestic through ball by another former Barcelona team-mate, Sergio Busquets, sent the Argentine World Cup-winner racing through on goal in the 60th minute. Messi took his time and coolly feinted to wrongfoot Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel before tucking away the finish for 4-1.
TimesLIVE
20 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Marc Marquez wins Czech GP sprint after penalty scare
Ducati's Marc Marquez took a record-extending 11th sprint win of the MotoGP season at the Czech Grand Prix on Saturday, but the Spaniard's celebrations were briefly put on hold during an investigation for tyre pressure infringements. Marquez and factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia were both forced to slow down during the race and surrender first and second place due to low tyre pressure, or risk incurring an eight-second penalty. Six-times champion Marquez relinquished his lead but was able to overtake KTM's Pedro Acosta with two laps remaining and cross the finish line first, with MotoGP later confirming that no further action would be taken against Marquez. Acosta's teammate Enea Bastiani ended in third. Asked if he had done enough to avoid a penalty, Marquez said: "Yeah, we did it. For that reason, I'm smiling. So it's true that it was super towards the limit. And yeah, we're riding comfortable. "Then I saw that the pressure was not enough. I tried to push some laps on the brakes, but I saw that was too much risk to get on that correct pressure. And then I decided to wait. "I just stayed super close to Acosta to increase the temperature. And then when I saw the temperature was already inside the rules, pressure was inside the rules, then I pushed in the last few laps." Marquez leads the riders' championship table with 356 points, with his second-placed younger brother Alex, who finished 17th after a disastrous start, 95 points behind on 261. Pole-sitter Bagnaia finished seventh after he was overtaken by Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in the final lap. Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin ended in 11th on his return to competition after suffering a collapsed lung and bruised ribs in a crash in Qatar in April. South Africa's Brad Binder finished 10th.
