MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 17 / OCTOBER 29, 2017
SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / SEPANG, MALAYSIA
P64
the front braking, and we would
both crash."
Dovi crossed the line for 25
crucial points three-quarters of
a second ahead, and was as
calm as ever after the race. The
win hadn't been as pleasurable
as the other five, but his and the
team's work had been faultless.
"We were fast in all conditions;
we improved practice by prac-
tice. We were relaxed this week-
end, and we worked very well,
so I am so happy about that." As
for the prospects for Valencia:
"…to recover 21 points, some-
thing must happen. I will do the
same as every weekend."
Zarco looked as he might fall
himself from crashing.
Quizzed later, he proclaimed
innocence. He hadn't even
seen the "change maps" sig-
nal. "I didn't see completely
my pit board, or see any mes-
sage. They told me later in parc
ferme…but I didn't notice. It was
very slippery, you had to keep
focus, and I was only looking
at the revs to change gear. In
Misano, I lost concentration
changing maps and crashed."
In any case: "I already knew
[the situation]. I didn't need
anybody to tell me what to do. I
wanted to win, but to stay with
Dovi to the end was too much on
the limit. It would be easy to lose
points off his teammate. The
team would surely signal him to
give way–but would then be con-
demned for being unsporting.
On the other hand, if they did
not, they'd be condemned for
giving the title away.
They did send a signal to his
dashboard, telling him to change
the electronic map. Was this a
coded signal?
Then at the end of lap 15 Lo-
renzo ran wide at the last hair-
pin, and Dovizioso pounced for
a lead he would hold to the end.
But TV footage clearly showed
Lorenzo hadn't given way volun-
tarily. In fact he'd lost the front
under braking and was saving
Jorge Lorenzo made it a Ducati 1-2.
