Andrea Dovizioso says that he is “more angry than happy” about Marc Marquez’s all-out final-corner attempt to win the Austrian Grand Prix.
Dovizioso and Marquez ran nose-to-tail at the front of the field for the latter half of the race, swapping the lead several times.
Marquez was particularly close on the final lap, choosing get up on the outside of the Ducati through Turn 9 before switching back for a huge dive at the last corner.
He narrowly avoided Dovizioso as he ran out wide, and the Italian signalled his dissatisfaction at the move as they crossed the line.
“To win in the last corner is always different and special with Marc, because he is really good in the battle,” said Dovizioso.
“But I had a strange feeling in the last corner, I was more angry than happy because he tried to overtake me in that way.
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“I did this (gesture) instinctively, because that is not a corner to try to overtake a rider.
“But I know very well, and everybody know very well Marc, and I manage in the best way the last corner.”
Dovizioso, who moved up to second in the championship (16 points behind Marquez) as a result, said that he could hear the engine of Marquez’s Honda before the last lap lunge, which allowed him to anticipate the move.
“The last lap was very difficult for me, because I lose a lot in the two left corners, and it was easy for him to overtake me,” he said.
“I didn’t know he wasn’t very close, so I closed the door and he caught me again.
“He had a chance to try in the last two corners, but the corner before last I braked very late and it was difficult for him.
“(Initially) I didn’t expect he’d try to overtake me because there’s no space there, there’s not a braking (zone).
“But I heard his engine; the corner before the last, he was allowed to open the throttle before me because he prepared the corner better than me, so I knew he wanted to try (to overtake).
“So I left the door open to try to exit faster.”
Championship leader Marquez said he threw caution to the wind while attempting the final corner move on Dovizioso.
“On the last lap, I was thinking about everything; the championship, I forgot a little bit,” Marquez said.
“I was pushing 100 percent.
“I decided to go all-in because I knew victory was very important, but even a second place is important.
“Last year we struggled a lot here and this year we were much closer to the Ducatis (which finished one-two at Austria in 2016).
“I arrived on the limit and I tried (to overtake) on the last corner, because if not, I cannot go to sleep (tonight); I have to try.”
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