MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 15 / OCTOBER 13-15, 2017
TWIN RING MOTEGI / MOTEGI, JAPAN
P78
fourth. Zarco had been ahead of
the Suzukis, while Rins was in
front of Iannone from laps eight
to 20. But the Frenchman's tires
were fading faster than theirs.
Both Suzukis passed him in one
lap, and the senior Suzuki rider
got firmly past Rins next time
around, with four laps remaining.
Fourth and fifth were by far the
marque's best results this year.
Zarco continued to drop back,
while Lorenzo closed to within
less than two seconds of Rins
for sixth. Aleix Espargaro also
got ahead of the Frenchman for
seventh, but Vinales in ninth was
more than seven seconds be-
hind the independent Yamaha.
Loris Baz (Avintia Ducati) was
10th, after spending much of the
bottom of the hill. But there were
still two corners to go. "I had to
try," said Marquez.
Dovi kept the door closed on
the left-hander, but before he
could do the same on the final
right Marquez dove underneath
him.
As in Austria though, his
momentum carried him wide on
the exit; the Ducati slipped back
inside. Dovi took his fifth win
of the season by a quarter of a
second. And everybody watch-
ing was able to breathe again.
Afterwards the rivals embraced
in parc ferme, celebrating a
battle both had relished, even
the loser.
Petrucci was safe in third and
there was a lively contest for
Dovi got it back at Turn Six, the
right after the first tunnel, only
for Marquez to push back in
front three corners later. The
Honda led that lap, and he was
just under half-a-second clear as
they started the last. Dovi admit-
ted it might have been enough,
"but I didn't give up, and I could
see he was at the limit."
Thus when Marquez pushed
slightly over the limit at Turn
Eight, narrowly saving the crash,
Dovi could get on his tail. "I
had to do the next two corners
perfectly to be able to attack at
Turn 11, because I knew I was
stronger under braking."
Marquez knew it too, and
was unable to prevent the Duke
from pushing past to lead at the
Danilo Petrucci tried to make a break for
it at the front, but ran out of grip.
