Source: Supplied.

Despite suffering a dramatic loss to Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) at Sunday’s Thailand grand prix, Andrea Dovizioso is content with his his runner-up result, marking his fifth-straight podium in the current MotoGP World Championship.

In a thrilling duel, the Ducati Team rider led for majority of the 26-lap outing while trading passes with series leader Marquez until he came under attack by the Spaniard on the final lap, relinquishing the lead and ultimately allowing the world champion to extend his points advantage.

“I’m very happy with this second place, even though I lost out on the win right at the final corner,” Dovizioso explained. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have much idea about Marquez’s strengths and weaknesses because I was almost always in the lead – I tried to counter his pass at turn five but lost a bit of ground and even though I still managed to make up some at the final corner, I wasn’t close enough to pass him.

“Pity, but for me this second place is worth more than the one in Aragón because on a track with these characteristics last year we would never have been able to fight for the win and so I’m satisfied with the improvements that we continue to make in every race.

“Together with my engineers, we always manage to understand something new, we’re working very well and now this gives us the chance of fighting for the win almost in every race.”

Dovizioso sits second to Marquez in the standings, 77 points in arrears, as the MotoGP World Championship heads to Twin Ring Motegi in Japan on 21 October for the 16th stop of the series.