Marc Marquez drew to within 40 points of suspended MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by beating Ai Ogura and Pecco Bagnaia to Czech Grand Prix victory.
Marquez fought past Ducati team-mate Bagnaia with five and a half laps to go and then resisted pressure from the closing Trackhouse Aprilia of polesitter Ogura to take his second straight GP win.
With Bezzecchi on the sidelines due to his ban for slapping a marshal on Saturday, Jorge Martin was the only factory Aprilia rider in the field and could only finish ninth after his double long lap penalty for taking out Bezzecchi and others at the Hungarian GP start. That at least brings Martin to within eight points of Bezzecchi in the standings.
Bagnaia held on for third place behind Marquez and Ogura as Fabio Di Giannantonio’s VR46 Ducati closed late on.
Joan Mir was fifth for Honda, having had a superb passing and repassing battle with Pedro Acosta until the KTM slowed and retired in the final laps.
Results
1 Marc Marquez (Ducati)
2 Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) +0.421s
3 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +2.255s
4 Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) +2.424s
5 Joan Mir (Honda) +12.810s
6 Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) +14.874s
7 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) +18.657s
8 Luca Marini (Honda) +21.265s
9 Jorge Martin (Aprilia) +21.401s
10 Enea Bastianini (Tech3 KTM) +22.273s
11 Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) +22.881s
12 Brad Binder (KTM) +22.942s
13 Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +25.003s
14 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) +25.806s
15 Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) +26.360s
16 Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) +33.121s
17 Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) +44.784s
DNF Pedro Acosta (KTM)
DNF Alex Rins (Yamaha)
DNF Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)