MotoGP's Qatar Grand Prix
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By: Matt Beer
Summary
Status: Stopped
So, the more things change, the more things stay the same, huh? It's very much a new-look MotoGP grid this year, but in the end the Qatar GP comes down to a last-lap lunge from Marquez on Dovizioso once more.
That's a wrap at the end of this enthralling but frankly exhilarating race. Thankfully we now have some three weeks to catch our breath until Argentina.
That's a wrap at the end of this enthralling but frankly exhilarating race. Thankfully we now have some three weeks to catch our breath until Argentina.
Dovizioso: "I don't know, it was a strange race. I didn't have really that strategy, but at that moment I thought it was the right strategy. I was managing the rear tyre because everybody was struggling, also in the end it was difficult to manage the tyre.
"Overall, I'm so happy, also because I didn't see nboody, I couldn't really know my positive and negative point.
"I saw Marc in the last lap, struggle a lot with the rear tyre, so it was good for me to understand that and I push really hard in the last lap, but Marc never give up, he's always there - but I was able to answer because I put him really on the limit."
"Overall, I'm so happy, also because I didn't see nboody, I couldn't really know my positive and negative point.
"I saw Marc in the last lap, struggle a lot with the rear tyre, so it was good for me to understand that and I push really hard in the last lap, but Marc never give up, he's always there - but I was able to answer because I put him really on the limit."
Marquez: "Was exactly like last year. Exactly same. I tried to push but here in the circuit when you overtake on the dirty place, you just go wide, was so difficult to keep the line.
"Anyway I tried, I tried to be there, I tried to push, I tried until the end. But very happy with these 20 points.
"Especially because it's a circuit that we struggle. This weekend we were struggling a lot with the front tyre. If you see, we put the medium, I wasn't able to push like I would like in the brake points.
"But okay, we finish the race, 20 points. One race, that normally we struggle, less from the calendar."
"Anyway I tried, I tried to be there, I tried to push, I tried until the end. But very happy with these 20 points.
"Especially because it's a circuit that we struggle. This weekend we were struggling a lot with the front tyre. If you see, we put the medium, I wasn't able to push like I would like in the brake points.
"But okay, we finish the race, 20 points. One race, that normally we struggle, less from the calendar."
Crutchlow: "To be honest, not to be rude, I feel like I've got a dead bum. Somebody hit me with a foot peg in the left buttcheek and I can't feel it at the moment. My ankle's good though.
"Obviously a great job by my team. We worked hard this weekend. I was glad to be able to fight. I pushed as hard as I could go, I didn't have a great feeling with the rear tyre at the end of the race.
"I have to thank my surgeons, they've put a lot of effort to get me back here, as well as my physiotherapist. And my whole team, we never gave up."
"Obviously a great job by my team. We worked hard this weekend. I was glad to be able to fight. I pushed as hard as I could go, I didn't have a great feeling with the rear tyre at the end of the race.
"I have to thank my surgeons, they've put a lot of effort to get me back here, as well as my physiotherapist. And my whole team, we never gave up."
The margin between Dovizioso and Marquez at the chequered flag was 0.023s. That must be some kind of milestone surely.
Finishing order: 1 Dovizioso, 2 Marquez, 3 Crutchlow, 4 Rins, 5 Rossi, 6 Petrucci, 7 Vinales, 8 Mir, 9 Nakagami, 10 A Espargaro, 11 Morbidelli, 12 P Espargaro, 13 Lorenzo, 14 Iannone, 15 Zarco, 16 Quartararo, 17 Oliveira, 18 Abraham, 19 Rabat, 20 Syahrin.
Marquez goes down the inside of Dovizioso at the final corner and sits him up! He runs wide, Dovizioso retakes the better line and it's Dovizioso who wins!
Marquez briefly swoops past Dovizioso, they run side by side as Dovizioso just holds on to the top spot!
The final lap is underway and Dovizioso powers past Marquez on the main straight! Crutchlow does the same to Rins.
Dovizioso is all over Marquez, while Rins swoops past Crutchlow for third. Rossi has rejoined the leading pack!
Dovizioso has just about held on to second but it's Marquez leading the four-bike pack now. We're approaching the final lap.
Just over two laps to go. Marquez is all over Dovizioso, Crutchlow and Rins are just about keeping up.
Rossi has passed Petrucci for fifth. He won't be winning today - probably - but it's been a phenomenal recovery.
Rins runs massively wide at Turn 1 as they start the third-to-last lap. This might be his victory bid over.
Oliveira is struggling now, and he's just been passed by Lorenzo for the final point-scoring spot in P15.
Dovizioso has now upposed the pace, but Marquez, Rins and Crutchlow are sticking with him. Petrucci and Rossi are dropping back.
Marquez breezes past Rins and his Suzuki on the start-finish straight. The Honda engine has some serious grunt this year.
Vinales has overtaken Mir but the pair have dropped almost a second back from sixth-placed Rossi now.
We've entered the final five-lap stretch. It's looked like Dovizioso has a lot of pace in reserve, but if he does, he's not unleashing it just yet.
Rossi's overtaken Mir, too. How is this happening? He's had absolutely no pace all weekend since FP1.
The fastest lap of the race still belongs to Quartararo and his 1m55.0s effort. The pace set by Dovizioso has been around a second slower.
Seven laps to go, Rins and Marquez are now scrapping for second place again. Absolutely anybody could win this.
Current order: 1 Dovizioso, 2 Marquez, 3 Rins, 4 Petrucci, 5 Crutchlow, 6 Mir, 7 Vinales, 8 Rossi, 9 Morbidelli, 10 Nakagami, 11 A Espargaro, 12 P Espargaro, 13 Oliveira, 14 Iannone, 15 Zarco, 16 Quartararo, 17 Lorenzo, 18 Rabat, 19 Abraham, 20 Smith, 21 Syahrin.
Dovizioso's cautious pace out front means we're back to an eight-bike leading pack, with Mir, Vinales and Rossi having caught up.
The Dovizioso/Marquez breakaway is history - Rins has reeled them back in, and has brought Petrucci and Crutchlow with him.
Rossi is now all over Vinales for seventh. Vinales looked to be getting into a rhythm, but his pace has suddenly cratered.
The cameras catch Quartararo ease past Lorenzo for what is now P16. Lorenzo is having no fun at all on his Honda debut.
Rins is going to pull the chasing pack back towards the leading pair here! 10 laps left in this one.
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