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MotoGP finale
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If both Hondas pass Lorenzo and he's only third, Rossi is champion.
Lorenzo's lead is back to 0.3s, Pedrosa is within 1.7s of Marquez.
Marquez all over Lorenzo in the middle section once again, and Pedrosa doing the best sector times of anyone so far - as he about to shake things up with a late charge?
Another place gained for Crutchlow, he's now ninth from the back.
Lorenzo crosses the line 0.288s ahead of Marquez and 2.2s clear of Pedrosa, with Rossi another 14.5s back.
Seven laps to go after this.
Same again this time round, Marquez much closer to Lorenzo in the middle of the lap.
Now Lorenzo's lead is back to 0.3s.
Again Marquez gained in the twisty second sector of the lap, with Lorenzo then rebuilding a bit more of a gap.
This is the closest the leaders have been for a while.
Marquez is suddenly absolutely all over Lorenzo.
Pedrosa continues to drift away, 2.4s behind Lorenzo, 13.3s ahead of Rossi.
A strong second sector from Marquez on that lap helps him, he's back within 0.2s of Lorenzo for the lead with nine laps left.
Marquez trims a bit back, the gap is once more down to 0.3s.
Ten laps left. Lorenzo's lead hits 0.4s again.
Rossi, in a lonely fourth, can only wait to see what happens. He's 15.6s off the lead.
Marquez has regrouped and is still doing everything he can to get on terms with Lorenzo. The gap is 0.2s with 11 laps left.
Marquez washes out a bit wide and is now 0.4s behind Lorenzo. A tiny slip but it's cost him a little.
Pedrosa matched the leaders that time round, he's still 2.3s off and now 12.8s ahead of Rossi.
Twelve laps left, Marquez is shadowing Lorenzo relentlessly, the gap stuck in the 0.2/0.3s region whatever either man does.
Crutchlow's charge shouldn't be forgotten either, he's into 10th.
Lorenzo and Marquez continue to reel off mid 1m31s laps and they're now 2.2s clear of third-placed Pedrosa with 13 laps to go.
Rossi is 12.2s behind Pedrosa now, but isn't under any pressure from behind - he's 2.2s clear of the battling Espargaro siblings, Dovizioso and Smith.
Pedrosa is losing more ground to the leaders, his deficit to the front now up to 1.8s as Marquez gets closer to Lorenzo once more.
However if Lorenzo is pushed back to third by both Hondas, then Rossi's current fourth place makes him champion.
Just to reiterate, if Marquez passes Lorenzo, Lorenzo is still champion in second unless Rossi gets third.
Rossi is now 12s behind Pedrosa, it's out of his hands and down to whether the Hondas can pass Lorenzo.
Fifteen laps left as we reach half-distance. Lorenzo still leads but it's down to 0.2s.
There are just fractions of a second between Lorenzo and Marquez's laptimes at the front of the field, and Pedrosa is pretty much matching them, 1.2s behind.
Rossi isn't able to gain on Pedrosa yet, the gap is 11.8s still.
If Marquez passes Lorenzo for the lead, Rossi still has to get up to third to be champion.
Seventeen laps left, Lorenzo's lead over Marquez is down to 0.3s.
Marquez continues to shadow Lorenzo, it's not over yet.
Rossi takes fourth! A neat outbraking move on Dovizioso. But now he has an 11.2s gap to Pedrosa ahead.
Now Rossi is right behind Dovizioso for fourth.
Marquez is hanging on, he's 0.4s behind Lorenzo for the lead, with Pedrosa a further eight tenths back.
Lorenzo leads, Rossi fifth. Nineteen laps to go.
Rossi needs a second attempt to get that move done, slicing inside the Suzuki more successfully.
Rossi is through to fifth place - for a few inches... He dived past Aleix Espargaro into Turn 1 but lost the place on the exit.
It's still been an outstanding season for 'Crazy Joe', though.
By: Matt Beer
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