Marc Marquez won his fourth MotoGP
title after challenger Andrea Dovizioso crashed during the season concluding
Valencia Grand Prix. Marquez only needed to finish in 11th place or better to
seal the title. Starting from pole, the Spaniard steered his Honda to a
third-place finish behind race winner Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez had started the race from
pole position and led after the start before being passed by Zarco on lap
three. He stayed behind the Frenchman until the latter stages before suffering
a scare when Marquez passed Zarco to re-take the lead only to go off the track
at turn one on lap 23. However, Marquez skillfully managed to stay on his bike
and rejoined in fifth behind Spaniard Lorenzo and Italian Dovizioso, who both
crashed out to promote him to third.
Dovizioso was the sole rider who
could challenge Marquez. His only hope of tipping Marquez for the title was to
win the race and see Marquez finish 12th or worse. Instead, the Italian wiped
out with six laps remaining. Moments before Dovizioso lost control of his
Ducati, Marquez had a scare when he barely managed to keep his bike up and on
course for the championship.
Marquez shared the victory with his
fans at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo where he cemented his reputation as the top
talent in motorbike racing. At 24, Marquez has won four of the last five titles
in the top category, to go with two titles he had previously won in the lower
classes. Pedrosa, another Honda rider, overtook Johann Zarco late in the race. In
Moto2, Miguel Oliviera won ahead of champion Franco Morbidelli. In Moto3,
pole-sitter Jorge Martin won the race ahead of champion Joan Mir. It was
Martin's first race victory.
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