MotoGP: The Most Memorable Moments of the Decade – Part 2

Following from Nat Jarvis’ part one of Motorsport.radio’s look back at the best moments in MotoGP over the last decade, we take a look at five more iconic moments in the 2010s of MotoGP.

1. Jorge Lorenzo’s maiden MotoGP title (2010)

In 2010, Jorge Lorenzo ended speculation of joining Repsol Honda or Ducati by signing another two year deal with the Iwata manufacturer.

The start of the decade was a tough one for Lorenzo, breaking two bones in his hand during a pit-bike accident, missing the majority of pre-season testing.

Despite not being fully fit, Lorenzo finished the opening race second, behind teammate Valentino Rossi.

The championship race was solely between the two Yamaha riders up until a Free Practice Three accident for Valentino Rossi at his home Grand Prix in Mugello which left the Italian with a broken leg.

Lorenzo was sat at the top of the standings with a 47-point lead after four wins in the first six rounds

The Spaniard continued to break records, taking victory at Assen which made him only the seventh rider ever to win in 3 classes at this prestigious circuit.

As the championship entered it’s closing stages, Lorenzo’s nearest challenger was Dani Pedrosa who on paper could still win the 2010 MotoGP World Championship, however, a Free Practice crash at the Japanese Grand Prix confirmed Lorenzo as Champion as the Little Samurai was forced to miss the upcoming two Grand Prix’s.

On October 10th at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Jorge Lorenzo crossed the line in third, taking his third Championship, his first premier class title, and broke the record for scoring the most points in a season with an outstanding 383 Points.

2. Casey Stoner goes fishing (2012)

At the end of the 2012 season, Australian Casey Stoner announced his early retirement from Motorcycle Racing.

Following two successful years with the Repsol Honda team, Stoner decided it was time to call an end to his triumphant six-year Premier class Career. Stoner first hit the MotoGP scene in 2006 after showing his talent in the lower classes since 2001.

The Australian had a strong debut season and landed a championship-winning ride with Italian Manufacturer Ducati.

Stoner won the 2007 title but failed to repeat success in 2008 and 2009. His 2009 season was hampered by a mystery illness which saw the rider from Southport, Queensland run out of energy before the race was over. Stoner was forced to skip three rounds in order to attempt to recover from his illness.

In 2010 Stoner was back for another attempt at the title and was once again fastest while testing the new 2010 version of the Desmosedici.

However, despite such a strong showing, it was only at round six at Assen after crashing out of round one and three. This made Stoner’s title challenge much more difficult despite taking six podiums, five in a row, along with three race wins.

For 2011, Stoner returned to Honda, this time in the Factory Repsol Honda colours. Stoner’s debut year with the Factory Honda team couldn’t have started better, winning the opening round of the year under a floodlit Qatar circuit.

Stoner went on to win ten Grand Prix’s and claimed his second World Championship, racking up a total of 350 points.

Following his title win, Stoner continued with the Honda team into 2012, and once again enjoyed a very strong start to the season. That was up until round 11 where Casey Stoner suffered a highside during Free Practice, resulting in torn ligaments in his ankle but was declared fit to race the following day.

Despite finishing fourth at Indianapolis, Stoner elected to have surgery, forcing him out of the following three races.

Earlier that year, Stoner announced that the 2012 MotoGP season would be his final as a MotoGP racer. Stoner ended the year 3rd overall, taking five Grand Prix wins, his last coming at his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

Since the famous ‘Gone Fishing’ pit board, Stoner has competed in the Suzuka 8-hour along with Australian Car Racing as well as being a test rider for both Honda and Ducati.

3. Marc Marquez hits the scene (2013)

In 2013, a young kid named Marc Marquez made his MotoGP debut onboard the Repsol Honda.

Replacing Casey Stoner, Marquez made history by round two, becoming the youngest ever MotoGP race winner by winning the American Grand Prix at the Circuit Of The America’s.

Since his maiden win on Sunday, April 21, 2013, Marquez went on to win a further five races, making his total win tally to 6 in just his rookie year.

Marquez was crowned the 2013 MotoGP World Champion in Valencia, beating the former (2012) MotoGP Champion, Jorge Lorenzo, by 4 points.

Since winning the 2013 crown, Marquez has wrapped up 6 Premier class titles in seven attempts. He also won 10 races in a row in 2014.

After his title win in Thailand 2019, Marquez became the youngest rider to win 6 World Championship Titles in the Premier Class (26 years, 231 days).

4. Catalunya Disaster 2019

The 2019 Catalan Grand Prix was set to be another classic encounter at the Circuit de Barcelona, with Marc Marquez, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi along with French wunderkind Fabio Quartararo all having race-winning pace.

Catalunya also saw Jorge Lorenzo return to form, at the circuit he claimed his second MotoGP win onboard the Ducati.

Lorenzo didn’t have a good qualifying, starting down in 10th place, but a typically quick start from the Spaniard saw him in fourth before the riders made it halfway round of the opening lap.

However, things were about to change as Lorenzo looked up the inside of Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso who had also made a bright start on the Factory Ducati who in turn was being passed by the number ninety-three Honda at the turn ten hairpin.

As the Ducati closed the line, Lorenzo lost the front, wiping out Andrea Dovizioso, Maverick Vinales and eventually Valentino Rossi.

With four of the main competitors out, Marquez enjoyed a lonely race at the front whilst Petronas’ Fabio Quartararo stormed away from the third-place battle consisting of Danilo Petrucci, Alex Rins and Jack Miller.

Eventually, Marquez took his fourth win of the 2019 season whilst Fabio Quartararo took his maiden MotoGP podium whilst Danilo Petrucci continued his impressive start to the season in third.

That victory gave Marquez a thirty-seven point lead over Dovizioso.

5) History Repeats in Qatar (2018/19)

It’s no shock to say that the 2010’s have been defined by the dominance of Marc Marquez.  Having only lost his maiden campaign in the top series the Spaniard has continued to set new records and it would be unsurprising if he continued his escapades in the 2020’s.

So it might surprise outsiders of the series to learn that the Honda rider has never had it easy. His on track battles continue to keep MotoGP as exciting as ever and in the past two years, his rivalry with Andrea Dovizioso have made the title fight (at least in the early season) exciting.

2018’s season opener saw Johann Zarco on pole, with the French rider holding the lead for most of the race. However Zarco ran out of tyres with six laps to go and as Dovi dived passed, Marquez followed. The World champion followed him until the final lap, diving up the inside of turn 16.

It would not be enough though as Dovizioso took advantage of Marquez running wide to out-drag him to the line.

A dramatic end to the season opener and one many assumed would not be repeated. We were wrong.

This year it was Alex Rins whose tyres gave up in the closing stages having battle with Dovizioso and the chasing Marquez all race. With two laps to go, the pair finally had a modicum of breathing room to Cal Crutchlow behind and Marquez was in no mood for waiting until the final corner with the pair swapping six times in the last two laps after an initial mistake for the Italian.

Going into the final corner, again it was Dovizioso leading and again Marquez made the lunge and AGAIN it was Andrea who undercut him, winning the drag to the line. It would set up yet another title battle between the two.

MotoGP has seen so many wonderful, exciting and breathtaking moments in the 2010s, however, we would also like to remember the riders we have lost over the last ten years.

Shoya Tomizawa, a young Japanese talent who passed away in 2010 after a collision in the San Marino Moto2 Grand Prix. Marco Simoncelli, the fast-rising Italian who passed away after an accident at the Sepang International Circuit in 2011. Luis Salom who tragically lost his life in Barcelona after an incident in Free Practice 2.

Motorsport Radio wishes all of you a safe new year.