Reigning MotoGP World Champion broke Danilo Petrucci’s heart on the last lap of today’s wet Misano MotoGP, pinching the lead into turn one on the last lap after shadowing the Pramac Ducati man for most of the race to take victory by just over a second.
Marquez had to set the fastest lap of the race on the last lap to keep Petrucci behind him and, with Andrea Dovizioso in third, he is now tied with the works Ducati man at the top of the points table on 199 apiece.
Petrucci took the lead on the seventh lap with Marquez and Dovizioso in close attendance, and the leading two swapped fastest laps. Petrucci was immaculate with only one visible error as he kept the marauding Marquez, who was out of the seat three times, behind him.
However, as they crossed the line to start the final lap, Marquez slipped underneath Petrucci and then, as the Italian tried to stay with him, he asked too much of his soft rear wet and this allowed Marquez to pull enough of a gap to take the win.
Dovizioso took the final podium spot as he ran out of grip at two-thirds race distance. He ended almost 13s behind Marquez but the title chase could not be closer. Maverick Vinales ended in fourth place but some 16s in arrears with Yamaha still not on top of their electronics strategies in the rain.
Jorge Lorenzo charged into the lead on the works Ducati as the lights went out and pulled a whopping 4.4s lead in seven laps but then crashed out, getting spat over the highside at turn six as Britain’s Cal Crutchlow also went down at turn three.
This left Petrucci, who had gone through Zarco, Crutchlow, Vinales, Dovizioso and finally Marquez to lead the race. A lap earlier, Marquez had signalled to his crew to get his second bike ready for a swap, which sparked a flurry of activity in pitlane as everyone but Ducati scrambled to change to a dry setup.
It was required, however, as even though the rain stopped, it remained too wet for slicks. Petrucci and Marquez dragged Dovizioso away from Vinales in fourth place and it was a game of limits as no-one got close enough for pass until the last lap.
Petrucci said in parc ferme that he was disappointed but opted to knock off his pace a bit to make sure he took home his third podium of the season to add to his third place at Mugello and second at Assen.
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro put in a fine effort to finish in fifth place, catching Jack Miller with nine left to go and then pulling away. Scott Redding took advantage of other people’s misfortunes to bag a steady seventh in front of Alex Rins with Jonas Folger next along.
Britain’s Bradley Smith took his best result of the season, passing Red Bull KTM team-mate Pol Espargaro with 15 left to run and ended the day with tenth. Alvaro Bautista finished one behind his countryman in 12th with Crutchlow recovering to 13th.
It was disaster for Dani Pedrosa who was unable to get any heat into the front Michelin as he ended in 14th. Johann Zarco pushed his Monster Yamaha over the line for 15th place while Loris Bz crashed twice but was still classified in 16th. Karel Abraham, who crashed on the opening lap, wrapped up the result sheet.
Andrea Iannone ended his race early complaining of arm pump while Sam Lowes crashed out of tenth place with 16 laps gone. Aprilia team-mate Aleix Espargaro had gone down one lap earlier.
