MotoGP™: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team/Michelin) triumphs in Valencia

After claiming the season’s opener in Qatar, Andrea Dovizioso concluded the 2018 MotoGPTM World Championship with victory in Valencia. The Italian was unfazed when the race was red flagged due to heavy rain and he went on to finish clear of Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR/Michelin) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing/Michelin).   

The season’s curtain-closer at Circuit Ricardo Tormo was marked by heavy rain and the race was interrupted after 14 of the 27 scheduled laps shortly after Dovizioso had dislodged Rins from the provisional lead, closely tailed by Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP/Michelin).

When the race restarted with 14 laps remaining, the grid order was based on positions after Lap 13, which meant Rins had the honour of starting from pole, ahead of Dovizioso and Rossi. The Ducati rider passed back in front second time around, however, and went on to collect his fourth win of the campaign.

Rins held on to pocket his second second place of the season after earning the silver medal two weeks ago in Malaysia. His reward was fifth place in the 2018 championship standings.

Rossi had been Dovizioso’s closest threat but he was caught out with five laps remaining. The nine-time world champion ended up 13th and completed the year on the third step of the podium.

The Italian’s fall allowed Espargaro to secure the first top-three result of his career at MotoGPTM level, while Michele Pirro (Ducati Team/Michelin) was fourth and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team/Michelin) celebrated his swansong appearance with fifth place.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda/Michelin) ended up sixth and best-placed Independent Team Rider, followed by Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3/Michelin) who clinched the 2018 Independent Team Rider title.

Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing/Michelin), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda/Michelin) and Hafizh Syarhin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3/Michelin) rounded out the afternoon’s top 10.

MICHELIN Power Rain tyres were used for practically all of the weekend’s sessions, with the exception of qualifying which took place on a dry track. All the riders lined up for Sunday’s second start with soft Michelins front and rear, except for Rins who opted for a medium front.

After celebrating the season’s end this evening, the teams and riders will return to the Spanish track on Tuesday for the first of two days of official testing to prepare for 2019 in their new colours.