The range of Michelin tires reserved for wet tracks allowed Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) to achieve a great victory, at the end of a Malaysian Grand Prix marked by rain. The Italian became the ninth winner in MotoGP™ this season.
Starting from pole position, Dovizioso quickly lost his advantage when Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took the lead into the first corner. At the end of the first loop completed on a wet track, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was in first position in a peloton that was still very grouped together. On the Sepang track, 5,543 km long, conditions were complicated to say the least, after torrential rain fell as the drivers took their places on the grid. The start was delayed and the race distance was reduced to 19 laps. The majority of drivers chose MICHELIN Power Rain medium tires at the front and rear. While the competitors found optimal grip on the puddles during the first laps, the name of the leader changed several times with, taking into account the conditions, some impressive overtaking maneuvers. Dovizioso was in third place before taking the lead from his teammate Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) on lap twelfth. The Italian then set off in pursuit of his compatriot Rossi. He seized the opportunity to pass during the fifteenth loop to take the lead and widen the gap. Dovizioso did not look back to win with more than three seconds in advance, while Rossi took second position. This is the second MotoGP victory in Dovizioso's career. He thus becomes the ninth different winner in the discipline in a single season, a record.
Lorenzo completed the podium after regaining confidence on this wet track. Fourth place went to Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) who also won the trophy for the first rider from an independent team after a magnificent duel with his teammate Loris Baz, fifth on another Ducati.
Maverick Viñales (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) finished sixth, just ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS). Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Yakhnich) completed the top 10.
95 spectators attended the race, a record at Sepang, despite very difficult conditions. They were able to enjoy an exceptional show throughout the day. Fans were able to see Frenchman Johann Zarco win the Moto316™ title in great style before moving to MotoGP in 2.
Michelin and the rest of the paddock will now return to Europe for the eighteenth and final race of a record season. Valencia will host the final on Sunday November 13.
Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team:
“I’m really happy with the result. I had vibrations on the right side at the start, but it didn't get worse during the race. I was able to keep good feelings. I am very satisfied with the consistency of the Michelins which gave us very good grip on the new asphalt and on the water. With the harder compound tires the grip was very good and I was able to maintain the same pace with consistent lap times from start to finish. We don't ride much in the wet, but what we did was satisfactory. We didn't try the hard compound at the front, as the mediums were the best and the soft was very good at the rear. If the track had remained dry, I think the tires would have been very competitive as well. »
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Program Supervisor of MotoGP:
“It’s another weekend where the weather played a big role. During the three days, we were not able to enjoy a single session on a completely dry track. It was not possible to know the true potential of the slick tires we had brought. With patches of humidity, the pilots were quite careful. However, they told us that their sensations were good, both at the front and at the rear, and that the level of wear seemed satisfactory. We were hoping for a dry track race, but that wasn't the case. With the arrival of the rain, the circuit had become dangerous and it was a good decision to delay the start. During the race, there were some very impressive overtakes and we were pleased to see that the drivers had the confidence to commit so much. The wet tires worked very well in these conditions and were consistent throughout the laps. I would like to congratulate Andrea Dovizioso on this victory. It's exceptional to have nine different winners in one season. We are happy to have contributed to this. We will now head to Valencia for the final round. Our schedule also focuses on the start of the upcoming season, as an important testing session will follow the following week. We are in the process of preparing new tires for the drivers to test. »
