- 2017-10-29
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SPORTS
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MotoGP Sepang: Andrea Dovizioso Wins To Keep 2017 MotoGP Title Fight in Malaysia
The Round 17 on MotoGP 2017, Malaysian Grand Prix witnessed Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took back-to-back wins at Sepang International Circuit on October 29.
He claimed his 6th victory of 2017 season and kept to clinch World Title opportunity. The 2nd place was his teammate Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), who marked his best result of 2017. 2017 rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) took the 3rd place and marked his 2nd podium of this season.
Current point leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) finished the 4th place, he could not clinch World Title at Sepang. The World title decision will go to Valencia. But he still leads Andrea Dovizioso 21 points, if Marc Marquez wins at Valencia, he will be World Champion 2017. Also, an 11th-place finish at Valencia will be enough for the Honda rider to seal the crown even if Andrea Dovizioso wins.
The race started in wet condition, when beginning of the race, it was still raining. At first, Johann Zarco led the race, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso followed him.
Jorge Lorenzo made his move just before half-distance, with Dovizioso following through soon afterwards to establish a Ducati one-two out front.
In lap 16, Jorge Lorenzo ran wide at the final corner to allow Dovizioso through and seal his sixth victory of the year by a margin of 0.748 seconds.
Andrea Dovizioso (P1):
“It’s nice to be able to say we couldn’t have done more. We had a perfect weekend, to be on top in practice in both conditions…we improved in the dry from practice to practice, and in the wet we knew our bike worked very well.
The grip was so low in the race, maybe because there was so much rubber down. At the beginning I took some time to get smooth again because I wasn’t as comfortable as practice. Nobody was pushing me from behind so I took some time to understand my positives and negatives and I was able to catch Jorge. He was very fast today and I had to concentrate to catch him.
I couldn’t really see the screen. I saw Marc was fourth, but I didn’t know how close he was to Zarco. But then I saw later on Lorenzo’s pitboard that the rider behind him was Zarco.
We did everything perfectly and it wasn’t easy. To show everyone with our work we can really be competitive, at this difficult track, in the dry and the wet…but at Valencia it's a lot of points and I think Marc will be competitive from the beginning. All we can do there is the same, try to be competitive and win the race.
This year, nobody expected us to be there so we have to keep thinking positive. We can’t make a strategy, we just have to try to win. But this year everything can happen during the weekend, you never know with the weather…but we were relaxed before this weekend and we go to Valencia the same. The points are the reality and you can't change the reality. Even with what Marquez did this weekend, with a difficult weekend, he didn’t fall - so for me to gain 21 points, something has to happen. But the pressure for sure is quite heavy, but then Marc already did it in the past. If Marc wins the Championship, it means he was the best.”
Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix Race Results- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati Team / 44m 51.497s
- Jorge Lorenzo / Ducati Team / 44m 52.240s
- Johann Zarco / Monster Yamaha Tech3 / 45m 1.235s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda / 45m 9.260s
- Dani Pedrosa / Repsol Honda / 45m 20.641s
- Danilo Petrucci / Octo Pramac / 45m 21.877s
- Valentino Rossi / Movistar Yamaha / 45m 22.266s
- Jack Miller / EG 0,0 Marc VDS / 45m 26.735s
- Maverick Viñales / Movistar Yamaha / 45m 29.550s
- Pol Espargaro / Red Bull KTM Factory / 45m 31.344s
- Alvaro Bautista / Pull&Bear Aspar / 45m 34.056s
- Bradley Smith / Red Bull KTM Factory / 45m 36.099s
- Scott Redding / Octo Pramac / 45m 40.193s
- Hector Barbera / Reale Avintia / 45m 41.555s
- Cal Crutchlow / LCR Honda / 45m 42.202s
- Michael Van Der Mark / Movistar Yamaha / 45m 47.894s
- Andrea Iannone / Suzuki Ecstar / 45m 49.888s
- Tito Rabat / EG 0,0 Marc VDS / 46m 17.068s
All photos copyright by MotoGP.- source : MotoGP
