Another weekend means another race, with this weekend starting a double header. This weekend, we are in Czechia for the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia at the Automotodrom Brno.
Last year, Marc Márquez took the race win by 1.7 seconds over Marco Bezzecchi with Pedro Acosta in third. The race featured many overtakes in the early laps. There were also some big crashes for the likes of Álex Márquez, who took out Joan Mir, and Enea Bastianini.
Moto2 saw Joe Roberts come on top and win by a second over Barry Baltus in second and Manuel González in third. The race saw five DNFs, including one from Diogo Moreira, who would later become World Champion.
In Moto3, José Antonio Rueda had a dominant 3.4-second victory over Máximo Quiles and David Muñoz. The battle for second was very close among five riders, going down to the last lap.
Automotodrom Brno
The circuit Automotodrom Brno is located outside the city of Brno. The city has become a spiritual home of racing, having hosted over 50 MotoGPs since it was added to the calendar in 1965. MotoGP moved to the circuit in 1987, after racing on a street circuit in the city beforehand.
The circuit is 5.4km (3.36 miles) with the race being held over 21 laps. With six left corners and eight right corners, the circuit presents a mix of fast, flowing sections and more technical sections. The elevation changes across the circuit also create more challenges for man and machine.
Currently, the lap record is held by Francesco Bagnaia, who set it last year with a 1:52.303. The rider with the most wins at the circuit is Valentino Rossi with five wins, and Marc Márquez has the most pole positions with four.
What to Expect
Looking ahead to this weekend, it is very hard to predict which bike will be strong around this circuit. Last year, the only manufacturer outside the top 10 was Honda. However, Yamaha is not as good as last year, so they could drop down in the order.
As always, expect the Aprilia and Ducati to be strong. M. Márquez did win the race last year, with championship leader Marco Bezzecchi second. Jorge Martín will also be looking for redemption after taking four people out on the first corner of the last race.
In Moto2, González will be looking to extend his championship lead. He finished third on the podium last year, so he will be hoping to improve on that this year. Izan Guevara finished sixth last year, so do not rule him out of producing a good result.
In Moto3 last year, a really close battle for second featured many of the top riders in the championship, such as Quiles, Muñoz, Adrián Fernández and David Almansa. It should make for a close and intense race.