Andrea Dovizioso’s hopes of finally lifting the MotoGP crown took a severe battering after he was involved in a second-corner crash which saw him score no points in the Catalan race.

Dovizioso was the victim of a multi-rider chain reaction involving Pol Espargaro, Danilo Petrucci, Johann Zarco and Dovizioso.

Petrucci, on the second works Ducati, clipped Espargaro’s rear wheel then Zarco, who saw it happen, grabbed a handful of brake, lost the front and took out Dovizioso.

There’s nothing to say because it was a racing incident. It’s very disappointing, especially when something like this happens you feel very frustrated because you can’t try anything. For the championship, we lost a lot of points today,” said Dovizioso, speaking at the track.

“The point is to be fast; we have to do that first and then we can think about the championship.

“The championship is very tight and anything can happen, as you see, so every race is important. It’s not about any individual race, it’s about the remaining six races. Anything is possible.

I’m very disappointed and frustrated by today but, like I’ve said, we have to come back with good speed because if we don’t have that there’s no reason to speak about the championship.”

Dovizioso went into the race with a one-point lead but a DNF and Quartararo’s win means he is now fourth and 24 points behind the Frenchman after being dumped in the gravel by Zarco.

Zarco said: “Pretty sad about today. The weekend was going pretty well and I could expect good things for the race, and finishing the race at the second corner is really giving pain to the brain, to the stomach.

“I think the start was correct from my side. Danilo did a really amazing braking at Turn 1 and he overtook me, and then he changed direction and almost fell down because the temperature on the left is very cool and we have to be very careful.

“I just reflexed to not touch him, I was braking and I crashed. The problem is when I crashed Dovi could not avoid me and we are two Ducatis on the floor, and of all the one’s it’s Andrea who is playing for the championship.

“This gives me a sad feeling today and I think if I didn’t touch the brakes I would have hit Danilo and it would have ended in the same way.”