Rossi: Title fight only close because of Marquez crash
Valentino Rossi concedes the only reason the MotoGP title fight is so finely poised at the moment is because Marc Marquez crashed out of a commanding lead last weekend at Austin.
Marquez’s early exit from the Circuit of the Americas race – which marked his first-ever defeat at the Texan venue – opened the door for Alex Rins to win his first MotoGP race and Andrea Dovizioso, who finished fourth, to retake the lead in the standings.
Ducati rider Dovizioso has a three-point lead over Rossi, who was on course to assume the head of the points table until being passed for the win late on by Rins. Suzuki man Rins is third, a further two points back from Rossi and four ahead of Marquez.
Points standings after Austin:
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | Points |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 54 | 25 | 16 | 13 |
| 2 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 51 | 11 | 20 | 20 |
| 3 |  Alex Rins | Suzuki | 49 | 13 | 11 | 25 |
| 4 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 45 | 20 | 25 | 0 |
But Rossi was eager to underline that, had Marquez taken a second win of the season at Austin, the Honda rider would already be some way ahead of the field.
“There are four riders with four different bikes in the first four places in the world championship, so it’s very even,” said Rossi. “The rules have made weekends very lively and sometimes it can be the case that one of the fastest riders is outside Q2, like what happened to Dovizioso [last weekend].
“This is good, but we must say that the situation is only so balanced because Marquez crashed. Otherwise Marquez would be out on his own in front.
“Marquez remains the favourite, because in Qatar he was second, in Argentina he dominated, and here [in Austin] he would have won if he did not crash. So yes, he remains the favourite.”
Speaking about the championship, Marquez admitted his frustration at giving away so much ground at a track where he has never previously failed to come away with maximum points.
"If we have to take something positive, it’s that we are only nine points behind the leader,” said Marquez. “But it is annoying to have thrown away 25 points at a circuit where I feel so comfortable.”
Rossi’s back-to-back second place finishes at Argentina and Austin mirror his results in 2017, when he led the championship in the early stages.
The Italian said his improved form in comparison to last season demonstrates the major changes Yamaha made to its structure for 2019 are making a difference.
“I am very happy that something has changed, because in the last years this did not happen,” Rossi said. “If Yamaha is committed it has the potential to create a championship-winning bike.
“The big things they did in the winter worked, also because the engine is the right one. But during the season we must improve, like Honda and Ducati have in previous years.”
Additional reporting by Charles Bradley
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Bob Meyer
Previous article
The MotoGP model that proves F1 B-teams' worth
Next article
Can Rossi pull off his own Tiger Woods moment?
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Americas GP |
| Drivers | Marc Marquez , Valentino Rossi |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Winglets
MotoGP 2021 kicks off in Qatar
Mandalika Circuit update
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
Why Lorenzo needs to ditch social media and enjoy retirement
OPINION: Jorge Lorenzo's status as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of all time is hard to dispute. But his constant social media spats with fellow riders and insistence on listing his achievements to his detractors are running the risk of tarnishing a legacy he worked hard to create.
