VOL. 53 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 16, 2016 P55
of the race successfully fending
off Vinales, leaving his compa-
triot frustrated again, although
still less than two seconds down.
"After how yesterday went,
I'm happy," said Marquez. Fifth
was "the best possible outcome,
and we've only lost five points
compared with Lorenzo. With
our difficulties, my objective was
to think of the championship."
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)
had to be happy with seventh, a
big improvement on his 12th-
place qualifying and comfortably
clear of any pursuers.
There had been some variety
in the battle for eighth, led for
half the race by Eugene Laver-
ty's Aspar Ducati. He was then
displaced by compatriots Scott
Redding (Pramac Ducati) and
Bradley Smith (Monster Yama-
ha), and would later fall back into
the clutches of Aleix Espargaro,
(Left) Lorenzo (99)
had a point to prove in
Austria and did so with
a vital podium.
(Right) Marquez (93)
gritted his teeth once
again in his career for a
painful fifth place that
could well prove crucial
in the title race.
(Below) Rossi (46) did
his best to rough up the
Ducatis but in the end
had to settle for fourth.
