Ducati Andrea Dovizioso won his second
consecutive MotoGP race, turning in an imperious performance to clinch the
Grand Prix of Catalunya. After starting in seventh place, Dovizioso moved
through the field seamlessly, eventually overtaking Honda riders Marc Marquez
and Dani Pedrosa who finished second and third.
It was a day to forget for the
Yamaha riders, as Valentino Rossi came home eighth and world championship
leader Maverick Vinales was only good for 10th. Off the line pole-sitter
Pedrosa preserved his advantage, but there was a hairy moment for Marquez
further back in the field, as he came into contact with Danilo Petrucci off the
line. Marquez recovered and eventually moved into third. Meanwhile, Jorge
Lorenzo took the lead from Pedrosa, who looked vulnerable early on.
Lorenzo started slipping down the
order, and Dovizioso went the other way. The Ducati man showed excellent pace
to recover from seventh on the grid. Having won the Italian grand prix last
time out, Dovizioso showed a lot of confidence and was quickly onto the two
Honda drivers up front. The Italian was on course for back-to-back victories at
this stage, as he laid down the gauntlet for a Honda response. Marquez
responded, as he retook second spot and kept the gap steady for a spell.
As the race entered the final
stages, Dovizioso built a gap over Marquez. The Ducati rider enjoyed the
moment, coasting over the line ahead of the Honda pairing. There is no doubt
Dovizioso is in the form of his career. Prior to last week's triumph at
Mugello, he had secured only two wins in nine years in MotoGP. He'll have his
eyes on the world title as well now. Dovizioso is just seven points behind
Vinales in the standings. With his tail up, the Ducati man will feel confident
of overhauling that deficit in a fortnight's time, when MotoGP heads to the
Netherlands.
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