- 2017-08-14
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ MotoGP Austria: Andrea Dovizioso Takes His Third Win of 2017 Season at Red Bull Ring
The Round 11 on MotoGP 2017, Austria Motorrad Grand Prix witnessed Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) scored his and Ducati's third win of the MotoGP season at the Red Bull Ring. Pole position start, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was 2nd behind Dovizioso by 0.176s and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) followed his teammate by 2.661s.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) finished 4th and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) was 5th. Movistar Yamaha riders Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi were 5th and 6th, respectively.
After the start, Jorge Lorenzo led the race, Marc Marquez was in the second, Andrea Dovizioso ran in third position. Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales followed them, but Maverick Vinales ran wide at Turn 3 and dropped down to 7th, Dani Pedrosa and Johann Zarco moved up to 5th and 6th.
On the 8th lap, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso overtook Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi ran wide at Turn 3 like Vinales, dropped down to 6th.
Afterwards, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso battled for the 1st place until last lap. While, Dani Pedrosa passed Jorge Lorenzo and moved up to third. He competed two top riders at a moment. But Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso expanded leads with Dani Pedrosa.
Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, their battle came down to the very last corner of the last lap. Marquez lunged down the inside of the Italian, forcing both wide, but Dovizioso managed a better exit and clung on to win.
Andrea Dovizioso (P1):
“Marc always tries to do something on the last lap! It was difficult for me because I lost a lot in the two left corners, and it was easy for him to overtake me – I didn’t know he wasn’t close and I closed the door, so he had chance to catch me again. He had a chance in the last two corners, but the penultimate corner I braked very, very late and it was difficult for him. I didn’t expect him in the final corner, because there is no space, it’s not a braking zone. But I heard his engine the corner before the last, he opened the gas before me, and I knew he wanted to try. So I left the door open because if I didn’t he would have hit me and could have won. He was good stopping the bike and trying to exit, but I was faster. It was a stressful last lap but I’m happy with how we’ve worked throughout the weekend. Every day was different temperature and the tyres worked in a different way – but we understood the medium was good in qualifying and the soft in the race. This weekend we worked really well. I had to manage the tyre and I couldn’t push, and I saved the tyre at the beginning. If we hadn’t, we couldn’t have done those laptimes later in the race. A lot of people expected us to win easily here, but the rules have changed. Winglets were much better on this track last year. We knew that and we worked very well – the situation was very different this year. Everything changing is this year’s Championship. Every weekend you have the chance to change everything, or lose a lot. There are five riders fighting for it."
Marc Marquez (P2):
“Today on the last lap I was thinking about everything except the Championship. I pushed 100% and I decided to go all-in – the Championship is important but even second place is. This year we were much closer but today Dovi, especially on the last laps, had a little bit more. A little bit everywhere except two left corners. I was losing everywhere but much faster there, maybe because he was on softer tyres. But I got to the limit and I tried in the last corner because if not, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well tonight! It was risky but I’m happy in the end because the 20 points are important. I was thinking about overtaking him in the penultimate corner but he closed the door and I’d had a few warnings there. Today track temperature was warmer and I was struggling with the front, he closed the door perfectly so I tried the last corner but he understood perfectly what was going to happen – and he got the undercut. It was a really exciting race, when we were three hundredths apart, the adrenaline, I touched his rear at Turn 2, it was on the limit – but we survived the race, we’re second, and if you said to me on Thursday I’d be second, I would say it’s a great result. Dovi deserves it because when he was behind me he was comfortable, and when I was behind him I was on the limit. So I’m happy to increase the Championship points and because we got the target – to be on the podium in every race and consistent in all conditions."
Dani Pedrosa (P3):
“I’m happy because it was a difficult weekend ad we struggled a lot in practice without the correct feeling with the tyres all weekend. It was key to start well and we went for the hard rear – it was an interesting race for me because I had a good strategy, not fast in the beginning but with no mistakes so I could keep the right line and make some passes. Little by little I picked up the pace and got better feeling but I was struggling all weekend with the front locking and with rear spin, I didn’t have much feeling with the tyres but when I got to third I was happy enough – then these two started to fight I was closer and closer, but I had no drive to stay in touch after that. But I’m really happy to be on the podium.”
NeroGiardini Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Race Results- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati Team / 39'43.323s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda / 39'43.499s
- Dani Pedrosa / Repsol Honda / 39'45.984s
- Jorge Lorenzo / Ducati Team / 39'49.986s
- Johann Zarco / Monster Yamaha Tech3 / 39'50.585s
- Maverick Vinales / Movistar Yamaha / 39'50.770s
- Valentino Ross / Movistar Yamaha / 39'52.318s
- Alvaro Bautista / Pull&Bear Aspa / 39'57.838s
- Loris Baz / Reale Avintia / 40'2.943s
- Mika Kallio / Red Bull KTM Factory / 40'3.089s
- Andrea Iannone / Suzuki Ecstar / 40'3.424s
- Scott Redding / Octo Prama / 40'8.846s
- Aleix Espargaro / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 40'10.023s
- Karel Abraham / Pull&Bear Aspar / 40'10.644s
- Cal Crutchlow / LCR Honda / 40'11.419s
- Alex Rins / Suzuki Ecstar / 40'16.235s
- Hector Barbera / Reale Avintia / 40'17.435s
- Bradley Smith / Red Bull KTM Factory / 40'19.746s
- Tito Rabat / EG 0,0 Marc VDS / 40'25.727s
- Sam Lowes / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 40'35.815s
All photos copyright by MotoGP.- source : MotoGP
