Japanese Grand Prix, Motegi, MotoGP: in 2017, a magnificent Dovizioso rinsed Marquez.

This fourteenth round of the MotoGP championship in Japan could well reduce the number of contenders for the title to two in 2017. The leading trio from Aragon had revealed a weak link since the start of the rainy hostilities at Motegi, in the person of a Maverick Vinales who himself admitted that he felt the situation was slipping away from him. Fourteenth on the starting grid aboard a poorly performing Yamaha, he would have to work to catch up with his rivals Dovizioso, ninth, and especially Márquez, third. Would he succeed while well-placed outsiders with nothing to lose had the ambition to play their card to the fullest?

Before answering this question, here is the overview in table:

#JapaneseGP MotoGP™	2016	2017
FP1	1'45.786 Andrea Dovizioso (see here)	1'55.418 Marc Marquez (see here)
FP2	1'45.151 Jorge Lorenzo (see here)	1'54.877 Andrea Dovizioso (see here)
FP3	1'44.987 Marc Marquez (see here)	1'55.254 Marc Marquez (see here)
FP4	1'45.304 Marc Marquez (see here)	1'54.581 Marc Marquez (see here)
Qualification 1	1'45.614 Alvaro Bautista (see here)	1'55.258 Pol Espargaro (see here)
Qualification 2	1'43.954 Valentino Rossi (see here)	1'53.469 Johann Zarco (see here)
Warm Up	1'45.451 Marc Marquez (see here)
Course	Marquez, Dovizioso, Vinales (see here)
All time lap record	1'43.790 Jorge Lorenzo 2015

 

For the record, since the introduction of MotoGP in 2002, Honda has triumphed on seven occasions at Motegi, including in the two previous editions: 2015 with Dani Pedrosa and 2016 with Marc Márquez. Yamaha has won four times, the last victory dating back to 2014 with Jorge Lorenzo. Ducati has four successes on the Japanese track. The last one is to the credit of Casey Stoner in 2010. And with the presence of KTM in seventh and eighth row, the six manufacturers currently entered in the MotoGP World Championship lined up at least one of its representatives among the first ten on the grid this Sunday, a feat which had not happened since Brno in 2006.

On the track side, the rain, present since Friday, was not lacking. The bitumen was at 15° Johann zarco in pole position, and Petrucci his runner-up, are the spearheads of Yamaha and Ducati to counter the official Honda Marquez in the title race, and thus preserve the interests of the factory drivers Vinales et Dovizioso, positioned further away.

 

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/919420554452652032

For the tires, six of the twenty-four protagonists took the rear super softs and some even also at the front like Petrucci. Finally, given the water splashes, going from afar was not going to be fun. The unleashed beasts are Marquez who entered the first corner in the lead. Lorenzo immediately settled into his wake. zarco was third in front Petrucci who passed the Frenchman before the end of the first lap.

A first round completed with a Lorenzo leader in front Petrucci in the thick of it with Marquez. Dovizioso was fourth behind zarco who ultimately did not resist the Ducati official. At the same time, Petrux settled the account of Por Fuera to take control.

It was an opportunity to point out that Petrucci was one of the drivers equipped with a super soft rear. An effective rubber, but its longevity is more questionable than the soft one. After three laps, the Pramac driver congratulated himself on his choice by setting the best times in the race in the lead.

Behind, followed Marquez et Dovizioso while Lorenzo et zarco were in contact. Literally as figuratively…

 

Iannone followed this duel from his sixth place and Nozane was falling. Crutchlow imitated him. Abraham followed the same movement. But also Red at turn 8, when he was eighth. In the standings, 18 laps from the goal, Petrucci held on to the ramp in front Marquez, Dovizioso, Iannone, zarco, Kidneys, Alex Espargaro, Vinales, Lorenzo et Pedrosa. Baz knocked on the door of this top 10, dominating the two KTMs led by Pol Espargaro.

After the first third of the race, we noticed a leading trio Petrucci, Marquez et Dovi separated from the rest of a platoon where zarco fought to keep the two official Suzukis led by Kidneys behind him. Vinales was a solitary eighth, behind Alex Espargaro at the Aprilia, and in front Lorenzo and Pedrosa in super soft rear.

Twelve laps from the finish, Marc Marquez launched the attack on Petrucci and took the lead. Dovizioso also attacked his compatriot and passed him to better maintain contact with the Honda.

Dovizioso allowed himself to be pressing on a Marquez who, rather than escaping, had to defend his position as leader. The two men were the only ones able to lap in 1'56. Petrucci kept his distance and secured what was then a third place. Returned to the fray, Crutchlow fell for the second time. Baz settled the account of Pedrosa to enter the top 10.

Six rounds from the end, DesmoDovi set the best time and took the advantage over Mark. Better still, he seemed able to escape. At this stage, the Ducati official was 11 points behind his HRC counterpart in the championship. Dovizioso continued to run in 1'56 while Marquez found the 1'58 zone. Behind, the official Suzukis, Kidneys in the lead, blew up the rampart zarco.

However, MM93 did not give up and found some strength going into the last three loops. He even forced the passage at turn 5. Dovizioso returned the favor. the two men entered into an epic hand-to-hand duel!

Baptist fell, but so much Marquez which Dovizioso did not give up in view of the last lap. Marquez made a slight mistake which took advantage of Dovizioso four corners from the goal. Marquez tried in the last chicane to regain his possession but, as in Austria, Dovizioso played on his intelligence to let the storm pass and fly to his fifth victory of the season. Petrucci is third in front Iannone et zarco eighth point in front Vinales et Baz, but behind Aleix Espargaro, Lorenzo et Kidneys.

#JapaneseGP MotoGP Race: Ranking

1	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	47'14.236
2	93	Marc Márquez	Honda	0.249
3	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	10.557
4	29	Andrea Iannone	Suzuki	18.845
5	42	Alex Rins	Suzuki	22.982
6	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Ducati	24.464
7	41	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	28.01
8	5	johann zarco	Yamaha	29.475
9	25	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	36.575
10	76	Loris BAZ	Ducati	48.506
11	44	Pol Espargaró	KTM	56.357
12	21	Katsuyuki NAKASUGA	Yamaha	+ 1'00.181
13	22	Sam LOWES	Aprilia	+ 1'00.980
14	8	Hector BARBERA	Ducati	+ 1'03.118
15	53	Tito RABAT	Honda	+ 1'03.514
16	45	Scott REDDING	Ducati	+ 1'04.162
17	38	Bradley SMITH	KTM	+ 1'06.271
18	7	Hiroshi AOYAMA	Honda	+ 1'13.250
Not Classified
	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	Ducati	3 lapses
	26	Dani PEDROSA	Honda	4 lapses
	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	5 lapses
	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	10 lapses
	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	19 lapses
	31	Kohta NOZANE	Yamaha	21 lapses