MotoGP

The 2017 MotoGP season reaches a dramatic conclusion on Sunday, with the title set to be decided on the final race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.

Reigning champion and current leader Marc Marquez heads into the weekend 21 points clear and favourite to claim glory, but Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso still has a slim chance.

For Dovizioso to clinch a first MotoGP title, he must win the race and hope Marquez finishes in 11th place or below.

If the Spaniard finishes in 12th, the pair will both have 286 points, but Dovizioso will claim the title as he will have more race wins, seven to Marquez's six.

The situation at the top is neatly illustrated by BT Sport MotoGP:

Fan of Marc Marquez?

This is what your man needs to win the #MotoGP title.#FinalShowdown pic.twitter.com/EWSnNHAPJY

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) November 6, 2017

      

Schedule (GMT)

Practice 1, Friday, November 10, 8:55 a.m.—9:40 a.m.

Practice 2, Friday, November 10, 1:05 p.m.—1:50 p.m.

Practice 3, Saturday, November 11, 8:55 a.m.—9:40 a.m.

Practice 4, Saturday, November 11, 12:30 p.m.—1 p.m.

Qualifying 1, Saturday, November 11, 1:10 p.m.—1:25 p.m.

Qualifying 2, Saturday, November 11, 1:35 p.m.—1:50 p.m.

Race, Sunday, November 12, 1 p.m.

The action can be streamed via the BT Sport website and with beIN Sports Connect (U.S.).

       

Here is a look at the top riders:

     

Marc Marquez: Honda

Marquez is bidding for his fourth title on Sunday, and with a healthy lead, it would be a surprise if he were not celebrating at the end of the race.

Per MCN, the Catalan has said he is feeling the pressure but is happy to be on a track which he feels suits him:

"Of course, it will be natural to feel some pressure in Valencia with so much at stake, but honestly there has been pressure for the entire second part of the season. And the fact that we’ve been able to manage some tricky situations, as was the case at the last race in Malaysia, gives me a positive feeling. Regarding the track, I feel good because I like Valencia. It’s an anticlockwise circuit, which normally suits me."

Marquez may like this track, but he has only won once in MotoGP at Valencia, in 2014, and finished second to Jorge Lorenzo last year.

However, if the Catalan can stay out of trouble, he should have more than enough to seal the result he needs and etch his name even more deeply into the sport's histoy.

      

Andrea Dovizioso: Ducati

Dovizioso goes into Sunday's race with momentum—he won in Sepang, Malaysia, last time out to take the title fight to the final day.

The Italian has six race wins already this season and can take heart from history that shows a lead has been overtaken on the final day three times before.

Wayne Rainey was the first man to do it in 1992, Nicky Hayden also achieved it in 2006 and Jorge Lorenzo pulled it off in 2015, per BT Sport.

Dovizioso also knows he simply has to win on Sunday, as anything less than victory will mean the title goes to Marquez.

Even if, as expected, the Catalan does take the title, Dovizioso can still look back on a superb campaign.

The 31-year-old started the season as Ducati's No. 2 rider but has provided the team with a title challenge and has defied expectations to consistently excel throughout the campaign.

Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso kept his slender MotoGP title chances alive on Sunday as he won the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Italian finished ahead of his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Monster Tech 3's Johann Zarco in Sepang. Dovizioso's win means Honda's Marc Marquez, who finished fourth, still has work to do before he can celebrate a fourth world title; he has a 21-point lead heading into the final race of the season in Valencia.

Elsewhere, it was a tough day for Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, as he dropped from fourth on the grid to eventually finish in seventh.

MotoGP journalist Simon Patterson provided the full race result:

Incredible race! A Ducati one-two, Zarco on the podium - and the championship goes to the final round! pic.twitter.com/zDUdNXtkha

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 29, 2017

Ahead of the race, declared wet beforehand due to the damp conditions, BT Sport MotoGP offered a reminder of the title permutations:

Here's what Marc Marquez needs to do to win a fourth #MotoGP title today.

Will he do it? pic.twitter.com/feyFlM14Z0

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 29, 2017

With the title within touching distance for Marquez, it wouldn't have been a major surprise to see him play it sensibly in the early stages of the race.

But the Honda star, starting in seventh, launched a bold move into Turn 1, temporarily moving into first place. In the end, after running wide, he dropped into third ahead of title rival Dovizioso.

Knowing he needed to get past the Honda, Dovizioso was riding aggressively and applying a lot of pressure to his title rival.

As we can see courtesy of the MotoGP Twitter account, there were times when things did get a little too close for comfort between the two men:

That was CLOSE! 🙈

The Championship was almost over there and then for Dovizioso as he clashes with Marquez!#MalaysianGP pic.twitter.com/ub1uhwlvPq

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 29, 2017

Up the road, Zarco had been usurped at the head of the race by Dovizioso's team-mate Lorenzo, with the Ducatis looking strong as the race approached halfway.

Dovizioso was eventually able to get past Marquez into third and then shuffled past Zarco to nestle in behind his team-mate. The leading duo then started to pull away from the rest of the pack, giving the Italian's slender title chances a lift.

Even so, Dovizioso in second and Marquez in fourth still would have meant the world title for the Honda man.

Per the Moto Race Feed account, Ducati had a big decision to make on behalf of their riders, who were both chasing wins for different reasons:

8 laps left - 0.5 between Lorenzo and Dovizioso who has to win... The words Team Orders are on everyone's lips! #MotoGP

— Moto Race Feed (@MotoRaceFeed) October 29, 2017

Dovizioso needs to win to keep the championship alive - Lorenzo wants a Ducati victory. Mmmm.... #MotoGP

— Moto Race Feed (@MotoRaceFeed) October 29, 2017

In the end, Dovizioso did come past Lorenzo, with the latter running a long way wide and almost losing control of his bike.

As noted by Patterson, Ducati didn't have to use team orders to get Dovizioso to the front:

No team orders there - Lorenzo makes a big mistake and Dovi gets through. The title fight lives on...

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 29, 2017

Marquez, meanwhile, was back down in fourth, a long way behind Zarco in third position and a long way ahead of his team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who was in fifth. There was no great urgency from the Spaniard in the final stages, and Dovizioso was able to enjoy his triumph.

This strong Ducati display means there's still some hope for Dovizioso at the season climax in Valencia in a fortnight's time.

All the pressure will be on Marquez, and based on his daring move into Turn 1 here, there was clearly a desire to wrap up the fourth world title on Sunday. Even so, a man of his experience should still have enough to get over the line in the decider.

Marc Marquez can win his fourth MotoGP world championship at the 2017 Malaysia Grand Prix on Sunday, where second-placed Andrea Dovizioso is the only rider with a chance to derail his title bid.

The defending champion sits 33 points ahead of Dovizioso entering the penultimate race of the year, and Marquez is guaranteed to clinch the crown on Sunday if he finishes in second place or higher.

Dovizioso would have to finish eight at the very least in order to prolong the title tug-of-war, although he's relying on Marquez to endure a nightmarish result—such as an early retirement—to slow the Spaniard's rampage.

Both riders will be seeking a perfect weekend of preparation leading into the Malaysia Grand Prix, and Dovizioso has hope to say the least considering he won at Sepang International Circuit in 2016.

Read on for a breakdown of the weekend's race schedule in full, complete with a discussion of the title-chase landscape coming into a clutch fixture in the 2017 MotoGP calendar.

            

Schedule (BST)

Practice 1, Friday, October 20, 2:55 a.m.-3:40 a.m.

Practice 2, Friday, October 20, 7:05 a.m.-7:50 a.m.

Practice 3, Saturday, October 21, 2:55 a.m.-3:40 a.m.

Practice 4, Saturday, October 21, 6:30 a.m.-7 a.m.

Qualifying 1, Saturday, October 21, 7:10 a.m.-7:25 a.m.

Qualifying 2, Saturday, October 21, 7:35 a.m.—7:50 a.m.

Race, Sunday, October 22, 7 a.m. (GMT)

The action can be streamed via the BT Sport website and with beIN Sports Connect (U.S.).

            

Preview

It's incredible to think that, at the age of 24, Marquez is on the verge of achieving what only seven other riders have done in history—winning four world championships in MotoGP (or 500cc competition before that).

Last Sunday's win at the Australian Grand Prix—his fourth successive podium finish and third win in those four—set the stage for triumph at Sepang, and BT Sport highlighted his ridiculous success in qualifying:

44 pole positions at the age of 24 😳

Marc Márquez is quite good at #MotoGP, isn't he? 🙌#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/fiLqFyk7LL

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 21, 2017

The importance of proper preparation is evidenced by the fact Dovizioso started 11th on the grid and saw his championship challenge all but end after settling for 13th at Phillip Island.

As for Marquez, it's to the detriment of his peers that he happens to be demonstrating his best form of the season thus far exactly when it's needed:

Just stop whatever you're doing and LOOK at @marcmarquez93 sliiiiiding through Stoner corner!😍#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/INW416TF66

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 21, 2017

It was difficult to believe for Ducati ace Dovizioso, who had been so consistent throughout the season and hadn't finished outside the top eight in a race since retiring at the Argentinian Grand Prix back in April.

His demise was hard to take, particularly with only two races of the year left to go after Australia, and spectators could see how much that loss meant:

Andrea Dovizioso finishes 13th 😨

The reaction from the Ducati camp says it all...#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/qR5xxza2vI

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 22, 2017

Of course, Dovizioso still has more competition beneath him in the standings, too, and another Spanish foe, Maverick Vinales, recently spoke of his desire to beat the Italian to second, per Autosport's Jamie Klein:

"I'm happy to be on the podium. The last races have been tough, [this has been the] first race in the second part of the season [where] I felt strong.

"Now winning the championship is impossible, but we have to try and finish second.

"Coming on strong now at the end is going to be important for 2018."

But all is not lost, and it happened to be in Malaysia that he picked up his only victory of the 2016 season, posing some good omens ahead of the second-to-last outing.

Dovizioso, 31, has five race wins to his name this season and is sure to pull out all the stops this Sunday in what could well be his best chance to ever win a world title , but he'll be relying on Marquez to have an uncharacteristic off day to do so.

Marc Marquez extended his lead to 33 points as he claimed his sixth win of the season at the 2017 MotoGP Grand Prix of Australia on Sunday in a thrilling contest on Phillip Island.

The Spaniard took full advantage of a difficult day for closest rival Andrea Dovizioso, who finished back in 13th, and claimed first place after an eight-way battle.

BT Sport MotoGP confirmed the podium and the standings:

What a race! That was worth getting up early for!

Your #AustralianGP podium:

🅿️1️⃣ Marquez
🅿️2️⃣ Rossi
🅿️3️⃣ Vinales pic.twitter.com/8SHMVzlfiQ

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 22, 2017

Marc Márquez now has a lead of 33 points and could be crowned champion next week in Malaysia...#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/3ESKmjYKvO

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 22, 2017

Marquez began on pole in Victoria, but it was Aussie native Jack Miller who got off to the best start in front of the home support:

Jack Miller!

What a start from the Aussie at his home GP!#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/Vefx0NhOPg

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 22, 2017

The Queenslander led the race for the first four laps, while, further back, Dovizioso saw his bid for the championship crumble inside the opener when he ran wide, per MotoGP's official Twitter feed:

Massive mistake and massive moment in the Championship battle as AD04 runs wide!

He's down to 20th! 😖 #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/g9LK1zqc1l

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 22, 2017

The Italian was able to claw his way back up seven places over the remainder of the race, but his challenge now hangs by a thread as a result.

At the head of the race, a chasing pack of seven riders quickly formed as Maverick Vinales, Johann Zarco and Valentino Rossi all contested the lead at various points.

Marquez and Andrea Iannone also joined the hard-fought battle as the riders constantly jockeyed for position and passed one another repeatedly, with Zarco's move to overtake Vinales on the outside of Doohan corner a particular highlight.

Marquez opened up a lead with five laps to go and pulled away from the pack to secure his victory. He reflected on the battle to get there:

"I tried to be calm... but suddenly on the second or third lap - first contact!" - @marcmarquez93 💢#AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/9EvPHHqQTD

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 22, 2017

Behind him, Rossi, Vinales and Zarco were left to battle for the remaining podium places, and the Frenchman was the one to narrowly miss out, though he can console himself having won Rookie of the Year for his efforts this season.

Third place was not enough for Vinales to remain in the race for the championship as he is now 50 points behind Marquez with two races remaining.

Dovizioso is the only rider who can still challenge, and he won in Malaysia last year, but that may not be enough if Marquez comes second.

Honda's Marc Marquez will be out to take another big step toward the 2017 MotoGP world championship on Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix.

A thrilling win for Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso in Japan last time out closed the gap on the Spaniard to 11 points at the top of the rider standings, with Marquez coming home in second spot. With the likes of Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Maverick Vinales all struggling for form lately, the race for top spot looks set to be between the leading duo.

With just three races left on the calendar, the contest at Phillip Island has the potential to be a decisive one in the 2017 campaign. Here are the details you need on where to catch the action, the schedule from Australia and a preview of what's to come from Down Under.

                     

Schedule (BST)

Practice 1, Friday October 20, 12:55 a.m.—1:40 a.m.

Practice 2, Friday October 20, 5:05 a.m.—5:50 a.m.

Practice 3, Saturday October 21, 12:55 a.m.—1:40 a.m.

Practice 4, Saturday October 21, 4:30 a.m.—5 a.m.

Qualifying 1, Saturday October 21, 5:10 a.m.—5:25 a.m.

Qualifying 2, Saturday October 21, 5:35 a.m.—5:50 a.m.

Race, Sunday October 22, 6 a.m.

The action can be streamed via the BT Sport website.

                     

Preview

The Australian Grand Prix has a reputation for being one of the most unpredictable on the MotoGP circuit. In the last five years the race in Melbourne has yielded five different winners.

It'd be no surprise to see more twists and turns here again, especially in a campaign that's been so enthralling to watch.

The excitement was cranked up a notch in Japan last time out, as Dovizioso and Marquez engaged in an epic battle right down to the final lap. Eventually, the Italian came out on top in the scrap, cutting down the advantage built up by the Honda man.

As noted by MotoGP journalist Simon Patterson, everyone was getting involved in the drama in Japan:

I have never, in ten years of this job, heard a media centre erupt with noise like the Motegi one just has. Incredible.

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 15, 2017

Dovi knew Marquez was going to make that move. It wasn't a repeat of Misano - it was a picture perfect repeat of Austria!

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 15, 2017

The win is a boost for the Ducati rider, who posted footage of the final stages of a dramatic grand prix:

Last corner at the #JapaneseGP 😎
Do you think the team was happy? 😂 @MotoGP #Dovi04 #DesmoDovi #AD04 #ForzaDucati @DucatiMotor pic.twitter.com/KuaouPd8Rc

— Andrea Dovizioso (@AndreaDovizioso) October 15, 2017

It also keeps the title race alive moving into the final three races. While Vinales and Rossi are unlikely to feature in the shakeup now, momentum is with Dovizioso in his attempt to reel in Marquez. And with five wins already this season, he knows what it takes to get over the line.

"I do not think we are the favourites, but I must say that we are working in a very relaxed way, because we are in a strange situation," he said of the battle, per Jamie Klein of MotorSport.com. "If we win the championship, it's something unreal, and if we don't win it, until now we've done a great championship."

Dovizioso is going for his first-ever world championship, whereas the man he's up against is chasing his fourth in MotoGP.

As we can see courtesy of the Repsol Honda Team account, the podium in Japan was a landmark one for the 24-year-old in his relatively short career:

.@marcmarquez93 the younger rider ever to achieve 💯 Podiums! 👏🏽
61 MotoGP
25 Moto2
14 125cc#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/4yYUQGYvrW

— Honda HRC Castrol - MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) October 15, 2017

He's found his consistent best at this point in the campaign. While Dovizioso edged him out in Japan, Marquez had stepped it up prior to that, taking victories in the Aragon and San Marino grands prix.

The Spaniard won here in 2015 as he sought to apply pressure to Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi. The same result would make him a tough man to catch at this point, and given his winning pedigree in clutch moments, you'd back Marquez to find a way to victory again this weekend.

              

Prediction: 1. Marquez, 2. Dovizioso, 3. Pedrosa

Andrea Dovizioso claimed his fifth victory of the season and closed the gap to championship leader Marc Marquez to 11 points in a thrilling race at Motegi in the 2017 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday.

The Ducati rider overtook Repsol Honda's Marquez on the final lap, and the pair were battling to the last corner in one of the great duels in recent memory.

Danilo Petrucci completed the podium as he came in third, 10 seconds down from the leading pair, while Italian veteran Valentino Rossi crashed out in the wet.

BT Sport MotoGP confirmed the podium result and relayed the latest title standings:

And breathe...

🅿️1️⃣ Andrea Dovizioso
🅿️2️⃣ Marc Marquez
🅿️3️⃣ Danilo Petrucci#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/qi0KOzv7kL

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 15, 2017

The gap at the top of the championship has been closed to 11 points...

Roll on Phillip Island 👊 pic.twitter.com/zf8mZ3qeX0

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 15, 2017

Marquez made a fantastic start on a soaking wet track in Japan, taking the lead from the off having been third on the grid.

However, he could not hold on to the front spot, and it was actually Ducati's Petrucci who led the way for much of the race's opening half.

Marquez and Dovi then hit the front with 11 laps of the race remaining, and it became clear the winner would be one of the title contenders.

A thrilling game of cat-and-mouse then ensued between the pair with Italian Dovizioso first taking the lead from his Spanish competitor on the 19th lap.

Marquez then re-took the lead with three laps to go, and heading into the final lap, it looked as though the defending world champion would have enough to claim victory.

Dovizioso remained in very close touch in the pouring rain, though, ready to take advantage of any slip from Marquez.

And he got his reward when Marquez made a mistake at Turn 8 and ran wide, allowing Dovizioso to latch back on to his rear wheel and take the lead soon after.

Marquez tried to respond with an overtaking move at the very last corner, but his rival kept his cool to come through as the race winner after a thrilling contest.

BT Sport MotoGP provided highlights of the brilliant final lap:

You're going to want to watch the full last lap of the #JapaneseGP

Two of the best in the world battling until the very end 👏 pic.twitter.com/Wc3ETucstU

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) October 15, 2017

The pair will resume their championship battle in Australia in a week's time.

Marc Marquez is close to retaining his MotoGP world championship with four races remaining, but Andrea Dovizioso is still within striking distance as the action continues at the 2017 Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday.

Marquez holds a 16-point advantage over Dovizioso in the latest standings, and neither racer can afford to make a mistake at the Twin Ring Motegi.

Maverick Vinales continues to stalk the pair and could pose a threat if he wins the final encounters on the calendar.

The race will start at 6 a.m. BST (1 a.m. ET). The full schedule can be found on MotoGP's official website.

Live stream: BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.) 

            

Here is a look at the top riders:

      

Marc Marquez—Honda

The Spaniard has brushed off a poor start to the season to climb his way to the top of the world championship as the races evaporate for his competitors.

Marquez could become a four-time champion if he prevails this season, and at just 24, he's already a legend of the sport.

The Spanish star won the previous outing at the Aragon Grand Prix, Spain, and this is the part of the campaign where Marquez finds his ruthless streak.

Per BSN, Marquez said he is ready to battle ahead of the trip to the Far East and is prepared to fight against his rivals for maximum points:

"For me the title is between three riders. If some of us make a mistakes, the others will be there. It's Dovizioso, Vinales and me. I think 90 per cent of the possibilities it will end in Valencia. The season has been full of up and downs for everybody. Honda start not so good, Yamaha at the top level, Ducati so-so. Yamaha kept its level but Honda and especially Ducati keep improving and we arrive in a very good level."

Marquez remains the man to beat, and if he can avoid bad luck in Japan, he will be one step closer to retaining his crown.

                     

Andrea Dovizioso—Ducati

The speedy Italian has given the performance of his life this term, and he requires a podium finish in Japan to keep the heat on the leader.

Dovizioso could only finish seventh in the last race, and Marquez took advantage of the opportunity.

The Ducati man has plenty of knowledge in the sport, taking his first ride in 2008, but he has never experienced the pressure of a world championship battle this late in the year.

The 31-year-old finished in fifth in the world standings last season, but he has the opportunity to usurp Marquez in the final weeks.

Per Oriol Puigdemont of Motorsport.com, Dovizioso addressed his excellent current season, giving himself the deserved plaudits for his huge points haul. Dovizioso said:

"If my year is surprising, it's because the majority of people thought I wasn't at the level of the best ones, when actually I've never been that far from them. Now, with those changes, I've placed myself at the same level.

"Up until this year I didn't see myself able to fight for it. But I must confess that I've also never seen myself as people see me."

The title will be decided as the season goes down to the wire, and two men stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Marquez is the younger man, and despite Dovizioso's obvious hunger, the Spaniard will be motivated to become world champion once again.

Honda's Marc Marquez took a huge step towards a fourth MotoGP world title on Sunday, as he raced to victory in an absorbing Aragon Grand Prix.

Marquez overtook a clutch of his title rivals on the way to glory, having started in fifth position on the grid. He came home ahead of his fast-finishing team-mate Dani Pedrosa and Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo, who was in third.

Crucially for Marquez, he extends his lead at the top of the driver standings to 16 points over Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso, who came home in seventh. The duo were deadlocked heading into the showdown in Aragon.

Starting from pole, Maverick Vinales was slow off the line, allowing Lorenzo to coast around him into first position.

As we can see here, the Spaniard's Yamaha team-mate capitalised on Vinales's early hesitancy, too, as Valentino Rossi moved up into second spot with a routine overtake:

Lorenzo with the holeshot!

Rossi makes his move on Viñales for 2nd!#AragonGP pic.twitter.com/LnZEj5TYV1

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

Vinales' disastrous start continued, as he showcased little pace in the early stages. His riding was littered with mistakes, too, and he slipped out of the top five. It left Lorenzo out in front, with Rossi, Dovizioso and Marquez starting to chop down the gap.

The man on the move in the pack of chasers was Marquez, who was able to get past his main title rival in Dovizioso. The Honda man then set about Rossi, though he wasn't able to get close enough to the veteran to launch one of his trademark passes for a while.

As we can see courtesy of Crash.net, there was little between the front four, while Marquez was doing everything possible to get to the head of the race:

Marquez tries to pass Rossi AND Lorenzo in one move...

...Runs wide!#AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/OnUsxbSy26

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) September 24, 2017

Per the MotoGP Memes Twitter account, there was an almost manic streak to the way in which Marquez sought to move to the front of the field:

https://twitter.com/MemesMotogp/status/911927632387862528

The squabbling for the minor podium places meant that the experienced Lorenzo was able to keep his slender lead intact at the front of the race, with the riders constantly worried about the prospect of being overtaken.

Rossi certainly had a lot to worry about with Marquez in his mirrors; the Yamaha man eventually had to relent after sustained pressure from his rival. 

As noted by journalist Simon Patterson, as the race moved into the final stages, it was the Honda duo of Marquez and Pedrosa who looked most comfortable out on track:

The fastest man on track is now Pedrosa - by nearly half a second!

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) September 24, 2017

While Pedrosa was after a podium spot, cutting through the field with ease, for Marquez, it was all about the win. With Rossi negotiated, suddenly Lorenzo was smothered by the Honda rider, as he battled gamely to keep Marquez behind him. But eventually, as had been the case with Vinales, Dovizioso and Rossi, he was reeled in.

Rishad Cooper was full of praise for the new race leader, who was putting together a stunning ride:

How does @marcmarquez93 manage to ride so often so far over the limit and still stay on the bike?
Supreme talent and master of his craft https://t.co/84jWxAg2qU

— Rishad Cooper (@rishadcooper) September 24, 2017

Meanwhile, further back in the field, Pedrosa ousted Rossi for third position and then surged past Lorenzo with the laps ticking down.

In the end, there wasn't enough time for Pedrosa to apply any real pressure to his team-mate for the race win. Lorenzo, meanwhile, was a comfortable third ahead of Vinales.

Another huge boost for Marquez was Dovizioso's poor display, meaning he picked up a meagre nine points on Sunday. With just four races to go in the 2017 season, this result has the feeling of a significant one in determining where the world title ends up.

Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso head to Sunday's Grand Prix of Aragon level on points at the top of the MotoGP world championship after the Spaniard took victory in San Marino last time out.

Marquez moved top of the standings, ahead of Dovizioso on countback, after overtaking Danilo Petrucci on the last lap to claim victory in wet conditions, with the Italian finishing behind the pair in third.

The duo now lead Maverick Vinales by 16 points in the championship, with Valentino Rossi—who missed San Marino due to a double leg fracture—further behind in fourth.

Rossi is set to make a remarkable comeback this weekend, having been passed fit to race, per BT Sport MotoGP‏:

Valentino Rossi has been passed fit to ride at Aragon.

He broke his leg just 22 days ago! pic.twitter.com/wrN4m3bczh

— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) September 21, 2017

The race will start at 1 p.m. BST (8 a.m. ET). The full schedule can be found on MotoGP's official website.

Live stream: BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)

          

Marc Marquez: Honda

After winning in San Marino, Marquez will surely be looking forward to Aragon. He was a winner here last year and has been on pole position on six of his last seven visits to the track, per beIN Sports.

A win on Sunday would also see him move clear at the top of the standings, with just four races left in the 2017 Moto GP championship.

Ahead of the race, Marquez said he is happy to be racing at Aragon and it is among his favourite tracks, per Simon Patterson at Motorcycle News.

Marquez's strong record at Aragon, coupled with his victory at San Marino, make him a strong favourite and the man to beat on Sunday.

                

Andrea Dovizioso: Ducati

The Italian has been knocked off the top of the standings and will surely want to respond on Sunday as the championship moves towards an exciting climax.

Per Valentin Khorounzhiy at Motorsport.com, Dovizioso said his approach is to go for the victory at Aragon, even though he knows it is a race where Marquez traditionally excels:

"At Aragon we are out to win. That must be our approach. If we don't think that, how can we hope to beat someone like Marc?

"We will have to work as we've done the last few races, although Aragon is one of Marc's favourite tracks. It makes a difference, but we can't say we won't try.

"There's no point speaking about tracks that are more or less favourable. In theory we should not have been competitive [at Misano] but we were fast. So it's difficult to make predictions in that sense."

With the end of the championship in sight, Aragon looks like a prime opportunity for Marquez to take charge of the world-title battle and move clear of Dovizioso, although Vinales in third will also be aiming to stay in contention.

Marc Marquez won the 2017 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix in wet conditions, overtaking Danilo Petrucci on the last lap after the Italian had led for most of the race.

The result means Marquez now moves level on points at the top of the championship with Andrea Dovizioso, after the Italian could only finish third.

Marquez left it late to make his move, surging past Petrucci on the start of the last lap, and the official MotoGP Twitter account captured the moment perfectly:

YES he can!  pic.twitter.com/CL6pBcFeh1

— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) September 10, 2017

The final race standings were also shown by Moto GP reporter Simon Patterson:

Marquez takes the win, Petrucci second, Dovi third... and after 13 rounds of the season, Marc and Andrea are on equal points! pic.twitter.com/WC6AHhOoKB

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) September 10, 2017

The wet conditions made it a tricky afternoon for most of the riders, but it proved no problem for Jorge Lorenzo early on, who surged from fifth to take the lead by the end of the first lap.

The Spaniard then started to extend his lead over pole sitter Marquez, as noted by MCN Sport:

Lorenzo nearly a second faster than anyone else, and now 1.5 clear of Marquez

— MCN Sport (@MCNSport) September 10, 2017

Meanwhile, Petrucci, fresh from setting the fastest lap of the race, passed Dovizioso and then Marquez, who seemed to be signalling to the pit he wanted to come in, per MCN Sport:

The @HRC_MotoGP crew are putting medium wets into @marcmarquez93's second bike... Will he swap?

— MCN Sport (@MCNSport) September 10, 2017

Drama swiftly followed, with race leader Lorenzo going off at Turn 6 with 22 laps to go, swiftly followed by Cal Crutchlow, but thankfully both riders were unhurt.

Petrucci then continued to lead ahead of Marquez and Dovizioso, with Maverick Vinales down in fourth and dropping back from the three leaders.

The conditions continued to play havoc, with Loris Baz sliding out, although he was able to continue.

Meanwhile, the rain had finally stopped, but the track was still wet and showing little sign of drying out quickly.

After his signal to the pits earlier, Marquez's second bike was wheeled out complete with slicks, as shown by MotoGP:

Honda roll out the second bike for @marcmarquez93 and it's fitted with slicks!

Will it dry out?! 🤔 #SanMarinoGP pic.twitter.com/ktKzPhNCqv

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 10, 2017

Yet conditions were still proving problematic, Hector Barbera the latest rider to crash out, the Avintia Ducati rider hobbling away after a nasty slide at high speed.

They were swiftly followed by Aleix Espargaro and Sam Lowes while it was also proving to be a difficult afternoon for Dani Pedrosa, the slowest rider on the track.

As the race headed into the final 10 laps, championship leader Dovizioso began to push, closing on Marquez in second which forced the reigning world champion to respond.

However, with the track starting to dry out, leader Petrucci posted a new fastest lap of the race as the top two continued to push, Dovizioso then unable to keep pace and starting to drop back.

Marquez's pressure started to tell, Petrucci having a wobble but managing to recover, but the Honda rider was starting to threaten, as noted by Patterson:

Two laps to go, and @marcmarquez93 is having a look at @Petrux9 now!

— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) September 10, 2017

As the pair approached the final lap, he timed his move to perfection, diving down the inside of Turn 1 and making it stick before surging away to claim the chequered flag with the fastest lap of the race.

It was a neat move by Marquez that also sees him rise to the top of the standings, the championship really hotting up now with just five races left to go.