Thailand MotoGP race day
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And that's a wrap from a fantastic inaugural Thailand Grand Prix, which was another chapter of the spectacular on-track rivalry between Marquez and Dovizioso.
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Marquez: "Was difficult and especially when you know that all last laps in the past with Ducati riders, I lose, every time. But this time I say okay, I will try to give my 100 percent, and was opposite. I arrive in last corner I brake so late, he overtook me but I was able to stop the bike, turn. Amazing to win here after a difficult weekend but anyway, we struggle in a few points but the team work very good all weekend. One more step to the final dream."
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Dovizioso: "Is not nice to lose at the last corner but I am really happy because this track, it wasn't ours. In February we struggle a little bit and we came here, we struggle a little bit at the beginning but we did some changes and I think we did a good step because the consumption was more than Aragon and at the end we battle for the victory. We did an incredible work and we are continuing to improve."
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Vinales: "Yeah I am happy with that, anyway today I think we were really strong, especially at the end of the race. Was an amazing track and amazing atmosphere. I think the bike was working like it needs to work this weekend and I could be there so I just need to believe more in myself, trying to be more competitive especially at the end. I push too much in the last five laps, finally I didn't have the chance to attack but anyway I am really happy. I have to say that the team works really good, and hot conditions, being on the podium, it is really good."
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Championship standings: 1 Marquez 271; 2 Dovizioso 194; 3 Rossi 172; 4 Vinales 146; 5 Lorenzo 130; 6 Crutchlow 128; 7 Petrucci 126; 8 Zarco 123; 9 Iannone 113; 10 Rins 102.
Marquez is expectedly delighted in the parc ferme as Dovizioso just shrugs at his mechanic - 'I tried'. He doesn't look too sad, though.
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Finishing order: 1 Marquez; 2 Dovizioso; 3 Vinales; 4 Rossi; 5 Zarco; 6 Rins; 7 Crutchlow; 8 Bautista; 9 Petrucci; 10 Miller; 11 Iannone; 12 Syahrin; 13 A. Espargaro; 14 Morbidelli; 15 Smith; 16 Redding; 17 Abraham; 18 Simeon; 19 Torres; 20 Luthi; 21 P. Espargaro; 22 Nakagami.
In the end, Vinales and Rossi in third and fourth could not challenge for victory but a very solid race for Yamaha.
It is the seventh victory for Marquez this season, and his points lead is now up to 77.
Checkered flag
Marquez wins the Thailand Grand Prix! Dovizioso tries to steal the victory at the final turn but Marquez beats him on the exit.
A late move from Marquez at Turn 5 and he stays ahead despite running wide!
Another Turn 8 overtake from Marquez, Dovizioso's counter attack is at Turn 12 this time. Dovizioso begins the last lap in the lead.
Marquez takes the lead at Turn 8! Dovizioso fights back a corner later. Another move from Marquez at the final corner, but the Ducati rider is back ahead again. Two laps to go.
Rossi lost a bit of a ground, looks like the podium places will be distributed between Dovizioso, Marquez and Vinales.
Marquez finally tries to take the lead but runs wide at Turn 3 and Dovizioso is back ahead.
Four laps to go, Dovizioso leads the race but Marquez is all over him. Vinales and Rossi also in striking distance.
Vinales often had winning pace in the late stages of races this year, but consistently having terrible starts meant he was never in position to actually take victories. He surely is now.
Vinales has arrived to the back of the top three and quickly passes his teammate Rossi.
Crash
Pedrosa crashes! Heartbreak for the Honda rider who probably threw away his best chance for a podium finish in a very long time.
Pedrosa also passes Crutchlow, and it's a great lap from both him and Vinales! They will be with the top three soon enough at this rate.
Crutchlow is struggling to match the pace of the top three and Vinales finds his way past the Briton.
Dovizioso, Marquez and Rossi all upped their pace quite a lot on lap 16. Let's see who can keep up.
Stopwatch
Ten laps to go, and the top eight is still within two seconds.
Marquez is not letting Dovizioso breathe out front - Rossi is losing a lot of ground on the exit of Turn 1, but he has kept Crutchlow at bay for now.
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Current order: 1 Dovizioso; 2 Marquez; 3 Rossi; 4 Crutchlow; 5 Vinales; 6 Rins; 7 Pedrosa; 8 Zarco; 9 Miller; 10 Petrucci; 11 Iannone; 12 Bautista; 13 Syahrin; 14 A. Espargaro; 15 Morbidelli; 16 Smith; 17 Redding; 18 P. Espargaro; 19 Abraham; 20 Simeon; 21 Torres; 22 Luthi; 23 Nakagami.
Zarco is suddenly back with the front group, and he brought Rins and Pedrosa with him. It's an eight-way fight!
Dovizioso and Marquez both pass Rossi after a poor exit from the Yamaha rider at Turn 1. Have the acceleration problems already arrived?
Behind the top three, Crutchlow and Vinales are still fairly close but Zarco appears to be losing ground a bit too much. That puts the Suzukis, Pedrosa and the Pramac Ducatis all out of the podium fight.
Rossi seems to have no chance of pulling away as Dovizioso is right with him at the end of the main straight. One might suspect Dovizioso is waiting for the right time to pounce.
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Current top 10: 1 Rossi; 2 Dovizioso; 3 Marquez; 4 Crutchlow; 5 Vinales; 6 Zarco; 7 Miller; 8 Rins; 9 Pedrosa; 10 Petrucci.
Marquez loses a second position in a single lap, as Dovizioso sneaks past at Turn 12.
Rossi takes the lead! He slipstreams past Marquez into Turn 3.
Crash
Nakagami crashes out at the final turn.
Rossi has a look on Marquez at the last corner of the opening lap, a great position for an overtake, but decides against making a move.
No changes in the top three, it is Marquez leading Rossi and Dovizioso.
Lights green
Green flag!
Formation lap underway.
Keep an eye on Avintia Ducati's Jordi Torres in this race. Okay, keeping an eye on him might be a stretch as he will probably not spend a second within the top 15, but nevertheless the Spaniard has been impressive this weekend. He beat Tom Luthi and Scott Redding in qualifying and was close to his teammate Xavier Simeon. This race looks like a nice opportunity for him to prove that he is good enough to stay in MotoGP for the long term.
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Standings (top 10): 1 Marquez 246; 2 Dovizioso 174; 3 Rossi 159; 4 Lorenzo 130; 5 Vinales 130; 6 Crutchlow 119; 7 Petrucci 119; 8 Zarco 112; 9 Iannone 108; 10 Rins 92.
The situation in the championship is not very complicated - Marquez's advantage over Dovizioso is 72 points. The Honda rider can't seal the title this weekend but, barring any major drama, he will be in a fantastic position to become champion at Motegi.
By: Matt Beer
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