News 31 Oct 2016

Dovizioso becomes MotoGP winner number nine at Sepang

Miller cards another top 10 finish with eighth in Malaysia.

Source: Supplied.

Source: Supplied.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took his second-ever victory at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, as he navigated the torrential conditions of Sepang to emerge as the ninth winner of 201.

After dueling for the lead earlier in the race, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) came home in second position, with teammate Jorge Lorenzo completing the podium for third.

Lorenzo got the best start off the front row, but it was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) from row two who moved through the furthest – up to second around turn one – with Lorenzo ahead and the front-runners shuffling.

With Rossi pushed down to P4, the front group of the Movistar Yamahas, Ducati Team and Marquez were joined in the fight at the front by Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Aleix Espargaro, before the Spaniard then slid out at turn one, able to rejoin but down the order.

Rossi fought his way back into the lead before Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) struck to take P1 and the Maniac held firm. Teammate Dovizioso was holding off Marquez in third and fourth, with Lorenzo stalked by Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) just behind.

A duel broke out at the front between Rossi and Iannone, with the latter true to form and hitting back as the Doctor attacked, before a turn 15 move saw Iannone take back the lead and power out of the corner ahead – with the speed of the Desmosedici GP16 unthreatened on the main straight.

Dovizioso and Marquez were far from out of the fight, with both moving back to gain on the Italian duo in the lead. Lorenzo was the rider finding himself out of podium contention as he fell down to sixth, moving back into the top five as Phillip Island winner Crutchlow then fell at turn two, the first shot of melodrama in the Malaysian GP.

Two more high-profile crashes then rocked the front group, as reigning world champion Marquez lost his Honda at turn 11 and slid out, rejoining in the points but out of contention for the victory followed by Iannone at turn nine, who was unable to rejoin but walked away unscathed.

Dovizioso versus Rossi became the duel at the front and Rossi was beginning to suffer with the front tyre. With a handful of laps remaining, the rider from Tavullia ran wide at turn one and left his compatriot able to get through, with ‘DesmoDovi’ needing no further invitation to start building a gap.

Keeping it calm and on the road, the number four Ducati crossed the line an incredible margin clear by the penultimate lap, before letting that advantage eke away on his way to the flag, keeping everything minimal risk.

Rossi kept his Yamaha upright in second, as Lorenzo took a solid result in the wet to complete the podium, with the caution that at the start saw the Mallorcan overtaken then converted into a good haul of points as he kept it on the road.

Dovizioso’s spectacular win, as well as marking the ninth different victor of the year, is his second premier class victory – the first being Donington Park in 2009 – and the second win this season for the Borgo Panigale factory, after a long drought since 2010.

Loris Baz and Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) were the unsung heroes further back on track as the drama ahead stole the spotlight, with Baz showing incredible wet weather pace once again, into fourth with five laps to go. Barbera then overtook his teammate, with the two crossing the line to complete the top five in another Brno-esque triumph for the team.

Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had an uncharacteristically quiet race as the Silverstone winner struggled slightly in the wet conditions, nevertheless taking a solid sixth and good haul of points.

Alvaro Bautista shone for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini once again in Malaysia with an impressive seventh place for the Noale factory, ahead of Assen winner Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), who completed the top 10.

World Champion Marc Marquez, despite his crash, crossed the line eleventh to retain Phillip Island as his only DNF in a stunning year on his scorecard. The paddock now return to Valencia as Marquez prepares to ride at home for the first time since taking his third premier class crown, but the one remaining race now begs the question – can there be a 10th?

The skies opened ahead of Moto2 lining up on the grid in Malaysia, with Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) facing down his first chance at the championship from a soaked pole position, but the Frenchman played his hand perfectly to take an unbelievable win and the crown, in front of Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) and Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP).

Francesco Bagnaia (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) took his second-ever career win at Sepang International Circuit, as he escaped at the front ahead of a demolition derby through the field, with Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) taking second for an amazing home result for the SIC team ahead of another rookie podium for Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

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