Marquez thriller
Dovizioso loses race in spine-chilling late duel
After spectacularly winning the first PTT Thailand Grand Prix in Buri Ram yesterday, championship leader Marc Marquez celebrates with the trophy on the podium.
BURI RAM: After a phenomenal last lap battle with Andrea Dovizioso, reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez yesterday became the first PTT Thailand Grand Prix winner and take a huge stride towards a third successive title.
Spain’s Marquez edged out Italy’s Dovizioso at the death to win the thrilling Buri Ram race after the pair had swapped the lead several times over the closing stages of a pulsating duel.
Honda rider Marquez finished the race in 39min 55.722sec, just 0.115sec ahead of Dovizioso’s Ducati with Maverick Vinales on a Yamaha third as just 0.270sec separated the top three.
The victory extended the four-time champion’s lead to 77 points over Ducati’s Dovizioso with four races left, and Marquez can wrap up the series in Japan in two weeks with a win at Motegi.
“Amazing to win here after a difficult weekend,” Marquez said, flashing his toothy grin after his seventh win of the season.
“But the boys did very, very good work through the whole weekend. They give everything. So one more step to the final dream.”
The 25-year-old reigning champion started from pole but lost the lead early on to both Valentino Rossi and then Dovizioso.
But the Spaniard fought back towards the end of the 26-lap race as he and Dovizioso went wheel-to-wheel up front in a battle that had the fans on their feet and screaming.
Marquez took the chequered flag after
overtaking Dovizioso on the final bend to secure victory by the slimmest of margins.
“I tried to give everything, I forget the championship, I forget all these things,” Marquez said afterwards. “The last five laps were very very nice for the Thai fans.”
Dovizioso was pleased with the result but said it was “bad to lose the victory on the last turn for sure”.
Marquez now has 271 points, 77 ahead of Dovizioso with a maximum of 100 available in the final four races of season, making him a strong favourite to retain his title.
Marquez also made history over the weekend as he became the first rider to climb out of Q1 to claim pole position, the 50th of his stunning career.
The Spaniard delighted his supporters,
who sought out pictures with him and wore caps with his No.93.
The maiden MotoGP had a local twist as the country’s famous food was being sold by vendors alongside a popular exhibition of Muay Thai, a traditional martial art.
Both Dovizioso and Marquez praised the energy and excitement of supporters.
“In Europe the fans have to learn from the Thai fans,” Dovizioso said, while Marquez described the atmosphere as akin to a party.
HISTORIC POINTS
Wild-card Somkiat Chantra became the first Thai rider to win points on home soil after finishing ninth in Moto3 yesterday.
The AP Honda Racing Thailand rider, who recently secured a promotion to Moto2 for 2019 with Honda Team Asia, clocked 38min 12.432sec to earn seven points.
Another Thai wild-card rider Apiwat Wongthananon (Yamaha) finished 16th.
Nakrin Ariratphuvapat, from Honda Team Asia, crashed with three laps remaining and had to retire.
Fabio Di Giannantonio, of Gresini Racing, won the race with a time of 38min 10.789sec.
In Moto2, Thailand’s Thitipong Warakorn finished 18th. Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia won the race for his seventh win of the season.