Lorenzo outwits Marquez on last lap, wins
SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD: Jorge Lorenzo struck the final blow in a dog fight with fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez, overtaking at the start of the final lap yesterday to win the Austrian MotoGP.
Ducati’s Lorenzo and Marquez, on a Honda, traded first place over the closing laps before Lorenzo powered past on the home straight and then held off Marquez on the next corner to pull away to win.
Lorenzo, who will be moving to Honda next season, said he made an effort to conserve his tyres in the early part of the race.
“10 laps to the end, I decided to attack,” Lorenzo said immediately after the race. “I was stronger in some areas, like uphill, he was stronger on the second corner. When I passed him, I gave everything and pushed to the limit. One of my best victories.”
Marquez could afford to savour the battle because his closest rival in the standings, Italian veteran Valentino Rossi, started from 14th on the grid and could only climb to sixth.
“This race I enjoyed,” Marquez said. “I gave everything, everything. I would try to defend my position but he did it to me on the straight. Great show.”
Marquez now leads the standings by 59 points.
Lorenzo jumped to third overall, one point ahead of Andrea Dovizioso who finished third on the other Ducati. The Italian, who won last week in Brno, could not quite keep up with the pace of the two leaders.
Earlier, Italian Francesco Bagnaia overtook Portuguese Miguel Oliveira on the final corner to win the Moto2 race and regain first place in the standings.
With the victory, Bagnaia (Kalex) now leads Oliveira (KTM) by three points.
In Moto3, Italian Marco Bezzecchi won to extend his lead over injury-stricken Jorge Martin at the top of the riders’ standings.
KTM rider Bezzecchi, 19, who started from pole for the first time in his career, held off Enea Bastianini and Martin at Spielberg to move 12 points clear of the Spaniard.