MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 17 / OCTOBER 4-6, 2016
BURIRAM CIRCUIT / BURIRAM, THAIL AND
P70
none's Aprilia. The Australian had
qualified on the second row, but
mistakenly "pressed the wrong
button" and killed his engine on
the start line. He had to start from
the pit lane and come through
from behind.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM)
was out of the points in 16th,
struggling with an injured shoul-
der after two crashes in practice.
Tito Rabat (Avintia Ducati) was
out of touch in 17th, and another
ten seconds away came the now
familiarly sad spectacle of Jorge
seventh from the slowing Mir.
The second factory Ducati of
Danilo Petrucci was a lone ninth;
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda)
held off Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac
Ducati) for 10th. Aleix Espargaro
(Aprilia) had been ahead of the
pair but pitted with electronic
problems after 15 laps.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda)
came through to 12th after a diffi-
cult weekend, battling tendinitis in
his right wrist and qualifying 13th
and finishing the first lap 17th. His
last victim had been Pol Esparga-
ro (Red Bull KTM), himself in pain
after breaking his wrist at Aragon
a fortnight before.
Four seconds away, Jack
Miller (Pramac Ducati) was 14th,
a second clear of Andrea Ian-
"We three were at another level
today."
The next-best finisher was
Dovizioso (Mission Winnow
Ducati), and he was another 10
seconds away at the finish, and
busy fending off Alex Rins's Ecstar
Suzuki by less than half a second.
Earlier in the race, he'd been
fighting off a persistent Franco
Morbidelli's Petronas Yamaha,
while Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki)
was leading the pursuit. Valen-
tino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) got
ahead of the Suzukis on lap five,
but by the 10th lap, his own grip
issues meant he was behind them
again, while Rins had got ahead of
his class rookie teammate.
Over the line, Rossi came
within half a second of regaining
Marquez (center) is one of only
three riders to have taken six
or more premier-class World
Championships alongside Valentino
Rossi (7) and Giacomo Agostini (8).
