Dovizioso makes it back-to-back Grand Prix wins

Andrea Dovizioso leads Pedrosa and Marquez
Andrea Dovizioso leads Pedrosa and Marquez

Italy's Andrea Dovizioso won the Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona to complete back-to-back MotoGP wins and close the gap on championship leader Maverick Vinales.

The Ducati rider, who won last week's Italy Grand Prix, was ahead of Repsol's Spanish pair Marc Marquez, in second, and Dani Pedrosa in third.

With air temperature at 33° C and a track temperature of 54° C, conditions were very tough on tires. Both Marquez and Pedrosa got off well at the start and rode at the front for the entire race. Marquez took the lead on lap six before being passed by his teammate and Dovizioso on lap eight. Pedrosa led for a further nine laps before being passed by the Italian, who ultimately went on to win the race.

The victory moves second-placed Dovizioso within seven points of Yamaha's Vinales, who finished 10th.

Reigning champion Marquez, who crashed four times in qualifying on Saturday as most of the field struggled with grip on a slippery circuit, celebrated his podium finish by falling on the rostrum.

"It was a strange weekend for everybody to manage the track, the grip, the temperature, it was very difficult," said Dovizioso.

"It was a strange race, we couldn't push any lap because the rear tire drops a lot, but I had the speed so I was able to manage and stay on the front without pushing."

There was drama off the line as Pedrosa got a good start from pole, but a wheelie from Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) saw the ‘Spartan’ almost clash with fellow front row starter Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) – with Petrucci then making contact Marquez. The Italian dropped back, with the reigning Champion pulling clear as Lorenzo attacked for the lead and took over at the front.

Catch all the details with this stunning slow motion footage, filmed live during the race.

Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) found himself heading through the run off area at Turn 1 off the start and dropping back, with the Spaniard then facing a fight back from outside the points after a tough weekend – and teammate Valentino Rossi unable to make big progress from P13 on the grid either.

Lorenzo led Marquez and Pedrosa, with Dovizioso on the hunt in fourth and Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) a big winner off the line to move up into fifth. Next it was Marquez who struck for the lead, with Pedrosa needing no invitation to follow him through. The ‘Spartan’ then lost out to his teammate ‘DesmoDovi’ as he began to struggle after the lightning start; Folger and Petrucci the next to get through.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]‘Baby Samurai’ Pedrosa then chose his moment to attack for P1, able to keep it as Dovizioso struck on Marquez – but the top three couldn’t quite yet begin to pull away from Folger in fourth, or ‘Petrux’ just behind. After a handful of laps playing high-speed chess, Dovizioso then went around the outside of Pedrosa to take the lead – pulling a small gap before Marquez followed the Italian through.

The fastest MotoGP riders from the race talk to the press about the results.

A three-way fight then broke out between Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Lorenzo for P6, with the squabble providing some spectacular wheel-to-wheel action and the Frenchman initially coming out on top. The drama wasn’t over, however, with some running out of rubber and some making big gains as the final laps approached – with Lorenzo on a charge back through and Folger one to lose out.

As ‘DesmoDovi’ arrived at the final lap clear in the lead, it became apparent the dream of Mugello wasn’t something the Italian yet had to wake from – crossing the line for his fourth career win to become the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner in 2010 to win back-to-back.

Marquez kept it calm to take second and get back on the podium after a tough Italian GP, with Pedrosa crossing the line in third to join his teammate on the bounce back from the Italian GP.

Lorenzo sliced back through to take fourth at the flag, ahead of Zarco getting the better of Folger in a last minute duel between the Tech 3 machines. Bautista, after a late run off, came home in P7.

Enjoy the French rider's duel with the nine-time World Champion during the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Valentino Rossi came home in eighth, Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) took P9, and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) made it to the flag in tenth – taking a big hit on his points lead in the Championship.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and home hero Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completed the top fifteen. EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller crashed out of top ten contention, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also failing to see the flag after retiring with a problem.

Next stop: Assen, where the cards of 2017 are sure to shuffle again.

Race Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 25 Ducati Team Ducati 44'41.518
2 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 20 Repsol Honda Team Honda 3.544
3 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 16 Repsol Honda Team Honda 6.774
4 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 13 Ducati Team Ducati 9.608
5 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 11 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 13.838
6 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER 10 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 13.921
7 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 9 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 16.763
8 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 8 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 20.821
9 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 7 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 23.952
10 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 6 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 24.189
11 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 5 LCR Honda Honda 28.329
12 BAZ Loris 76 FRA 4 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 33.281
13 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 3 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 35.200
14 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 2 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 39.436
15 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 1 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 40.872
16 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 43.221
17 GUINTOLI Sylvain 50 FRA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 44.655
18 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 0 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 48.993
19 LOWES Sam 22 GBR 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 55.492
20 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 0 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 2 laps
21 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 0 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 12 laps
22 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 0 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 18 laps

Rider Standings

Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Constructor
1 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA 111 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha
2 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 104 Ducati Team Ducati
3 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA 88 Repsol Honda Team Honda
4 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA 84 Repsol Honda Team Honda
5 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 83 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha
6 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 75 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
7 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA 59 Ducati Team Ducati
8 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER 51 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
9 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 45 LCR Honda Honda
10 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 42 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati
11 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA 34 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati
12 REDDING Scott 45 GBR 33 Octo Pramac Racing Ducati
13 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 30 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda
14 BAZ Loris 76 FRA 23 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati
15 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA 21 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki
16 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA 21 Reale Avintia Racing Ducati
17 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 19 Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda
18 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 17 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia
19 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE 11 Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati
20 PIRRO Michele 51 ITA 7 Ducati Team Ducati
21 RINS Alex 42 SPA 7 Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki
22 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 6 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
23 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 6 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
24 LOWES Sam 22 GBR 2 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia