Two wheels, one passion: MotoGP second half starts at Brno

The second half of the MotoGP season promises to be an exciting one

Bengaluru, August 1: An emphatic win at the Sachsenring circuit in the GermanGP saw world champion Marc Marquez extend his lead to 46 points over his nearest rival Valentino Rossi just as the FIM MotoGP World Championship went into the summer break.

As the MotoGP resumes this weekend with the Czech GP at Brno circuit, the Repsol Honda rider can't take anything for granted.

If Sachsenring was a signature venue for the Spaniard, it is not Marquez who has reigned at Brno, a legendary racetrack which is carved into the hillsides of the southern Czech Republic with one of the most spectacular stadium sections in the world. To give the grid some respite from the onslaught of Marquez' glory, there almost could not be a better track to attack next.

Good memories

The six-time world champion has reigned in the rain but it is his Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa whose numbers stack up, as do those of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) and, you guessed it, Rossi.

For Pedrosa, it is good memories of winning that famous duel in 2012 against the same Lorenzo and bringing Marquez' winning streak to an end in 2014.

Big threat

For Lorenzo, there was a stunning win in 2015 and one in 2010, and both men have frequented the podium at the Automotodrom Brno.

Can Lorenzo do what he did at Mugello and Catalunya and smash the hammer back down for his third Ducati win? He will be a big threat, that much is sure - and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso will want to stand in his way, especially on the Italian's 100th start for Ducati.

Winless sequence

Meanwhile at Yamaha, the winless sequence continues - and Brno is a good venue for the Iwata marque as well as a great venue for Rossi. It is also the scene of the nine-time world champion's first-ever win, taken in 1996 in the 125 World Championship, which was the first of seven victories at the track for Rossi.

Team-mate Maverick Vinales has also been on strong form, and the two are only ten points apart in the title fight. Facing down the worst winless run for Yamaha since 2003, could that change in the Czech Republic?

Man on form

What of the Independent Team riders? The leader in the standings remains Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) as the Frenchman sits in fifth, but he'll be looking for some form after some more difficult races.

And Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) is a man on form, fresh from taking the spoils as top Independent in Germany and from a front row start. Former Brno winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), meanwhile, needs to bounce back - and many of the rookies will be looking to do the same.

This is where it starts to ramp up and just ten races remain on the road to the season finale as the whistle blows to begin the second half. Who will keep lady luck on their side and who will she desert? Find out on August 5 when the race begins at 2pm local time (5.30PM IST)