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MotoGP Qatar: Dovizoso wins season opener by 0.027s

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso fended off massive last-lap pressure from reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez to take victory in the Qatar desert today, crossing the line with a 0.027s margin over the Repsol Honda man after he tried a last-corner pass which very nearly paid off.

Dovizioso put on a display of patience and tyre management to slowly move his way through the field after a poor first lap to take the lead from Johann Zarco with five laps left to run and Marquez followed him through to set up a last lap clash with nine-time king Valentino Rossi in third place.

Rossi just didn’t have the pace to stay with the leading two as they just pulled away over the final two laps. Marquez stalked Dovizioso through the second half of the lap and set up a pass into turn 16 but, like Austria last year, ran wide and Dovizioso cut back and used the GP18’s power to bag the win.

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Rossi just didn’t have the pace to stay with the leading two as they just pulled away over the final two laps. Marquez stalked Dovizioso through the second half of the lap and set up a pass into turn 16 but, like Austria last year, ran wide and Dovizioso cut back and used the GP18’s power to bag the win.

The top three put in their fastest laps of the race with three left to run and Dovizioso pulled off a 1’55.242 which was the fastest lap of the race. The final circulations really put paid to any challenge from Cal Crutchlow, who had come through to take the independent team honours in fourth.

Pramac Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci lost out to the LCR Honda man a little less than a second after he was told by his team to switch fuel maps.

Ride of the day came from Maverick Vinales who came from 15th on lap one to end the day in sixth. The Movistar Yamaha man had too deal with traffic while setting 1’55s laps as he reeled in the top seven, getting onto the back of Dani Pedrosa and setting his own personal best with five to run.

Pedrosa, who opted for the hard front tyre, ended his day ahead of Zarco who led for two-thirds of the race. The poleman went off like a scalded cat but just used up too much tyre and slipped back to eighth place, finishing six seconds off the lead. Andrea Iannone and Jack Miller completed the top ten.

Alex Rins crashed out of sixth place with ten laps left to go while it was another nightmare for Jorge Lorenzo, who fell on the same lap but at turn five instead of Rins’ turn two, saying his front brakes failed.

Tito Rabat claimed a good points finish in 11th place while fastest rookie went to Franky Morbidelli. Alvaro Bautista took 13th, one ahead of Hazifh Syrahin. The first-ever Malaysian to race in the premier class took two points on his debut, one ahead of Karel Abraham.

It was disaster for Aprilia as Aleix Espargaro and Scott Redding took 19th and 20th, both behind Bradley Smith in 18th.

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