The third and final race of the triple header in the 2017 MotoGP season is being fought out on the Malaysian circuit of Sepang just kilometres outside the capital of Kuala Lumpur.
Andrea Dovizioso arrives from the resounding victory in Japan and the tough weekend that played out on the shores of the Pacific Ocean surrounding Phillip Island. Two diametrically opposed performances that underscored, once again, the volatility on which the competitiveness in the premier class is based.
Mathematics is still keeping Dovizioso in the cards for the world championship, and while the odds are reduced to a handful, we should keep in mind that on Sunday he'll be racing on the track the DesmoDovi prefers, so theoretically it marks a return to a terrain where the Desmosedici GP can let loose every bit of its competitiveness.
The Sepang International Circuit is a track that most riders enjoy to the full, and which has a series of characteristics that make it perfect for modern-day MotoGP bikes: long straights, a wide track and numerous passing spots.
All the teams came to Malaysia for the MotoGP pre-season tests in February, and once again it will be the stifling heat of the equatorial country, together with the heavy rains, that will be a key factor throughout the entire weekend.
Andrea Dovizioso scored his first win for Ducati and second in MotoGP here exactly twelve months ago. After the 2016 race in Malaysia, the last twelve months have been a whirlwind of wins and podiums for the Italian driver from Forlimpopoli, which have led him to fight for the title, right until the last round held at Phillip Island a few days ago.
In the Australian GP Dovizioso only scored a thirteenth place, but even after this sudden stop, Andrea will try to keep the battle open with two rounds remaining, despite a gap of 33 points to leader Marquez.
โUnfortunately I lost a lot of points at Phillip Island and now my shot at the title appears to be compromised,โ he said. โBut I always think positively and we are here in Malaysia at a very challenging circuit, together with the heat, where I won last year and where anything can happen. If Marquez keeps on being so fast in the last two races, it's going to be a tough task, but at this point we must only try and bring home the best possible result and we are going all out to do that.โ
