Rossi dedicates MotoGP win to rider who died in Barcelona

Moto GP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain steers his motorcycle during the Catalunya Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, just outside Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 5, 2016.

This was his third win of the season and it moved him up a place into third on 106 points behind new leader Rins on 116 and Briton Sam Lowes, who came in sixth, on 108.

While Rossi jumped from ninth to fifth right at the very end of qualifying on Saturday, he was still 0.735 seconds off the pace of Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez, who claimed pole position.

Despite settling for second, Marquez is now 10 points clear of Lorenzo at the top of the standings after the defending world champion was knocked off his bike by Andrea Iannone. Lorenzo took the lead at the start but gradually fell back through the field.

“So a normal behaviour and normal feeling with the other riders is also helpful for staying more quiet and more concentrated”.

“This is a great, great victory, one of the best of my career”. The Avintia Ducati man used Maverick Vinales as a marker – but not for an outright tow – while Valentino Rossi bit his screen to take fifth place away from Vinales and his seventh lap of 1’44.329. Marquez tried to pass him a few times near the end but couldn’t get it done.

“I knew it would be hard, I was anxious because when I was in front I was pushing a lot, but not enough to escape from Marc”, said Rossi.

Rossi and Marquez had been at odds since an incident on the track past year but made amends after the race in Barcelona. “We had a great battle in a weekend in which we were reminded that we are all humans”.

“I knew before the race I would start to have graining on the front and this is what happened”.

Earlier, Zarco won the Moto2 race from pole. Members of Salom’s team wore a jersey that read “Always in our hearts”. Each of the top three took to the podium wearing shirts to honour the memory of the late Luis Salom.

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think “I won’t have any more relationship with him” or not speak with him and not say ciao”.