2017 Valencia MotoGP Results
Spoiler Alert: 2017 Valencia MotoGP Results from the season finale listed below
Heading into the 2017 MotoGP season finale at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, only two riders were capable of claiming the title – Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso.
Marquez had a 21-point lead over Dovizioso, which put much pressure on Marquez, as it was his title to lose. To claim a second title for Ducati, the first earned by the retired Casey Stoner in 2007, Dovizioso needed to win, and Marquez had to finish 12th or worse–two unlikely scenarios.
Neither happened. After battling to fourth from a ninth-place qualifying position, Dovizioso crashed out on lap 25, ending his chances at a title.
This took the pressure off Marquez, who nearly tucked the front of his RC213V at turn one a lap earlier, but saved it. Even with the title in hand, Marquez battled his way to third, finishing behind Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco and the race winner on the other factory Honda, Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez claimed his fourth MotoGP title, and entered the history books as the youngest rider at 24-years-old to win four premier-class titles, taking the record from Mike Hailwood who completed the same feat in 1965 at the age of 25.
Marquez also made history after he claimed pole at Valencia, which was a record-breaking 73rd pole in his Grand Prix career that began in 2008. Since then, Marquez has claimed six GP titles—125cc, Moto2, and four MotoGP.
Stay clicked to Ultimate Motorcycling for a final wrap and statistics of Marc Marquez’s record-winning season and GP career.
Following is the official race recap from 2017 Valencia MotoGP.
The race was a duel to the line between Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Johann Zarco – with the race decided in favor of the Spaniard on final lap as Pedrosa pounced and defended to perfection for his second victory of the year.
Marquez got the holeshot from pole, even after wheelying off the line. Teammate Pedrosa sliced through from the second row to take over in second, and Zarco was pushed down to third. Dovizioso made a good start to move up to sixth, and then past Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and behind teammate Jorge Lorenzo.
Early on, Zarco took over in the lead, with Marquez seeing him coming and slotting into second. Pedrosa remained in third, with the two Ducati machines glued together around a second behind and the tense tick of the clock counting down.
After a Zarco error, a Marquez pass, and then the Frenchman hitting back, laps ticked down before Marquez struck for the lead, and then ran wide. Sliding on his knee for a stunning save into Turn 1, the reigning Champion ran into the gravel, but managed to rejoin behind Dovizioso.
Lorenzo then bolted to chase down Pedrosa and Zarco ahead, before the Ducati Team rider went down suddenly – and just as suddenly, the dream was over for his teammate. A run off into the gravel that couldn’t be saved saw Dovizioso’s title hopes disappear after a nevertheless stunning season to take the runner up spot.
Dani Pedrosa vs Johann Zarco was then the duel for the win, with Pedrosa initially attacking at the final corner but the Frenchman able to hit back. As the last lap dawned, the Spaniard tucked in and then pounced into Turn 1, managing to hold off Zarco around the tight Circuit Ricardo Tormo Circuit to take his second victory of the season.
Marquez, back into the podium places after the falls ahead, kept his calm to the end to take third and the title, making him the youngest ever six-time World Champion and the youngest to take four premier class MotoGP titles.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) put in an impressive rookie ride into fourth, ahead of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) after a more difficult race for The Doctor. Iannone dropped back slightly after a run off at Turn 1 to take sixth, ahead of a great final race with EG 0,0 Marc VDS for Jack Miller in P7. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) moved up after crashing out in Q1 and qualifying outside the top ten to cross the line in P8, with Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) putting in another solid wildcard appearance to come home in ninth. Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) also impressed, locking out the top ten.
Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out the Austrian factory’s first season in the premier class in P11, and it was a tough weekend and final race of 2017 for third-placed in the Championship Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), as the Spaniard came home in P12. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing), Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the points in the #FinalShowdown, with the dust settling around the dramatic final race as the flag flew.
Next up is the traditional post-season MotoGP test at Valencia, where the new 2018 MotoGP lineup will begin testing their 2018 prototypes.
Click to page 2 for full results, final point standings and a photo gallery.
Photo by Luciano Bianchetto
