MotoGP these days reads like a movie script - you never know who's going to end up on top until the very end. Today's race, for example, started with Johann Zarco on pole, was led by Lorenzo and Petrucci, and Marquez and Dovizioso exchanged the lead, with the result being decided in the final corner of all.
The race started as wet as ever, which is exactly what Lorenzo wanted. He did manage to get an early lead but just as quickly faded, to concede a few places to the emerging riders behind. Petrucci led the race for a considerable while but was overtaken in one fell swoop by both Marquez and Dovizioso. In the middle of the pack, the two Movistar Yamahas were having a terrible time, with Rossi finally falling at turn 9 under constant throttle. Other riders that were uncharateristically slow were Cal Crutchlow, who fell twice during the race (including a scary 250kph crash) and Pedrosa, who had a brilliant race here last year.
A little further ahead in the field, Zarco struggled for rear grip and started losing places, eventually ending up in eighth place. Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro managed the frontrunners' pace for a while, but couldn't keep up and brought it home in a tidy seventh. Both Suzukis managed their best result of the year, a 4-5 finish where rookie Rins just missed out on upstaging his experienced teammate.
At the front, however, the duo of Marquez and Dovi settled into a rhythm with the Ducati following the Honda for a while, and six laps from the finish is when the Italian rider made his move. The final six laps were a thrilling mix of overtakes, and Marquez finally got the upper hand on the penultimate lap - but made a mistake on the final lap. A mistake that had his feet off the pegs and hanging on for dear life. Another impossible save later, Marquez was riding like nothing happened, but that was enough for Dovizioso to close the gap and overtake once again on the brakes at the end of the back straight. Come the final corner, Marquez tried a desparate lunge down the inside of the Ducati, but Dovi was ready. He let him through, and got better drive out of the final corner to finish first.
The championship now heads to Philip Island in Australia with just 11 points separating the top two championship leaders.
