Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso believes he could have stuck to the rear wheel of team-mate Danilo Petrucci has he not opted for the soft front wet.

Dovizioso went for soft compound Michelins all round while Petrucci and Alex Marquez went for the medium front and it’s that difference, thinks the Italian, that saw him lose podium pace with two laps left.

“At the end we have to be happy because we get some points, but a bit disappointed because I think we paid for the tyre choice,” said Dovizioso, speaking at the track.

“But now it’s too easy to speak about that because you can’t know in 45 minutes how heavy it can rain or if it stops.

“So, I was struggling in the first part of the race because Danilo was very strong.

“He is so strong in that situation because his negative points in the dry most of the time is an advantage in the wet because he creates a bit more grip with his weight.

“I was struggling but I was able to be faster in the middle of the corners and the braking.

“But the last 10 laps when the water was almost zero I completely finished the tyre. First the rear, I couldn’t exit like him, but already I was on the limit on the front and lap by lap it got worse.

“I locked the front, I almost crashed 10 times. I tried to push until the end, I wanted to get the podium and I gained one position on the last lap on Oliveira.

“I’m happy about that, but a little disappointed because with a different tyre I was able to fight with Danilo.”