The top three riders from yesterday’s Grand Prix of the Americas — Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez (centre) and Dani Pedrosa (right), and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso — snap a selfie on the podium after the race. (Twitter.com/MotoGP)

Agencies/Austin, Texas


Defending champion Marc Marquez dominated the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas winning by a four-second margin from his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa at the Circuit of the Americas yesterday.
This was Marquez’s second successive win having won at the season-opening Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar last month.
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso finished a little less than 21 seconds off Marquez but on the podium.
LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl and Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith completed the top five.
Smith’s team-mate and Moto2 world champion Pol Espargaro was sixth ahead of Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone.
Factory Yamahas had a forgettable day at work with Valentino Rossi finishing eighth after riding as high as fourth earlier in the race.
Aleix Espargaro on an ‘Open’ Yamaha for NGM Forward Racing finished ninth ahead of Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, whose race was ruined after a jump start incurred a ride-through penalty.

Vinales wins, West 7th
Meanwhile, the Moto2 race brought victory for Maverick Viñales of Pons HP 40 in just his second appearance in the intermediate class, with Esteve Rabat  of Marc VDS Racing Team second and Dominique Aegerter of Technomag carXpert third.
Moto3 world champion Viñales rode brilliantly from sixth on the grid, holding his nerve in an incident-packed ‘dry race’ which was slightly delayed by rain in Texas, the Spaniard eventually crossing the line four seconds ahead of Rabat.
Aegerter took the final podium spot a further three seconds back with Xavier Simeon of Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 crashing out of the rostrum hunt at the end of the penultimate lap having earlier led the race.
Behind the front three, Rabat’s team-mate Mika Kallio missed the podium by just over a second, whilst NGM Forward Racing’s Simone Corsi completed the top five ahead of Interwetten Paddock’s Thomas Luthi.
QMMF Racing Team’s Anthony West raced to his second top ten finish of the year with a seventh-place performance.
Before the season kick-started in Qatar, the Australian rider had said that top ten is what the QMMF team is capable of and for two races in a row, he has come good on his word.
Alex De Angelis of Tasca Racing and the Tech 3 pair of Marcel Schrotter and Ricard Cardus completed the top ten.

Miller wins Moto3
Australia’s Jack Miller won his second successive Moto3 race of the season when he triumphed at the Grand Prix of the Americas yesterday.
The 19-year-old, who captured his maiden race victory in Qatar last month, had started on pole on his KTM.
He then survived a series of challenges from fellow KTM rider Romano Fenati, who was second, and Efren Vazquez on a Honda, on the last two laps to secure victory.
“I felt strong on the brakes. That’s always been one of my strong points, maybe too strong as it can kill the exit speed,” said Queensland native Miller who won by just 0.069sec.
“But here it works really well. I’m stoked to have won, I led every lap.”
Alex Marquez, the younger brother of MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, had been in contention for a podium place before a spectacular crash on the last lap ended his hopes.
In a series of early crashes, Niccolo Antonelli came off the track on the eighth lap and needed treatment at the circuit medical centre.

MotoGP results (top ten)
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda)43:33.430
2. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)43:37.554
3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati)43:54.406
4. Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda)43:56.220
5. Bradley Smith (Monster Tech3)43:56.393
6. Pol Espargaro (Monster Tech 3)43:59.997
7. Andrea Iannone (Pramac)44:01.687
8. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha)44:18.949
9. Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward)44:21.035
10. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha)44:22.541