by M.C. – photo: @marcmarquez93 | Luck plays a substantial role in motorbike racing and sometimes it seems to take sides to become some pilots’ most loyal friend while completely playing against others. At the Repsol Honda Team, they have had a taste of both trends, a favourable streak for number 93 and a not so fortunate one for number 26. The MotoGP Spain, which took place at the recently re-named Angel Nieto circuit in Jerez, gave testimony once again of this two-sided fate. Marc Marquez, showing his trademark brave and aggressive style of driving, won the race thanks to a much superior performance than the rest (finish-line dance included), just as he did two weeks ago at the Americas GP. In this occasion, the French driver Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and the Italian Andrea Ianone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR), accompanied him on the podium in second and third position respectively.

The current champion has the gift of not falling much during races, if this is not so during training sessions, but never seems to suffer any serious consequence nonetheless. He also seems to always come up virtually unscathed despite finding himself in the middle of many an altercation… None of these happened in Jerez though. After a lightning start, he stated his dominance from the beginning of the race so he didn’t have to take any unnecessary risks later-on, avoiding a controversial scenario such as the one at the Argentinian Grand Prix, which has gained the Spaniard so many criticisms.

Marquez’ luck at the Spanish GP manifested itself in a different way: some of his most important rivals were eliminated in a single blow. And it is at this point that we have to start talking about the other side of the coin, the adverse luck that seems to follow some pilots such as Dani Pedrosa. The Spaniard, with his graceful driving style, has suffered numerous falls during his career as the many scars and operations in his slight body would confirm. Pedrosa came to the Jerez circuit full of hope and expectation: it is one of his favourite ones (he won there last year) and he was determined to come out triumphant.

Dovizioso, Lorenzo and Pedrosa, out

But when the little Honda samurai attempted to overtake both the Ducati pilots (Dovizioso and Lorenzo) once and for all, the Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who was placed between Andrea Dovizioso and Pedrosa’s trajectory, closed into the Honda pilot (although no apparent wrong-doing was done) making him fly into the air. After this (and as a result of his steering manoeuvre) Lorenzo himself crashed against his team-mate and World Championship leader right until that moment. At that point, the three of them, which are known for being some of the “cleanest” drivers in Moto GP, had to bid farewell to their podium dreams.

Unfortunately for number 26, this is not the only example of the unlucky streak that hangs over him this season, and which has more or less followed him for the last few years. Only two races ago, at the Argentinian Grand Prix, Johann Zarco literally lunged at him and his subsequent fall ended up with him on the operating table with a broken arm. Despite his injury, the little samurai pulled all his strength together to compete at the Austin circuit twelve days later, where he finished in seventh position. But as we said at the beginning, luck sometimes plays a determinant role in MotoGP…