Andrea Dovizioso wrapped up the 2017 MotoGP World Championship in the runner-up slot on Sunday afternoon in Spain.
The Italian Ducati Team rider, who had to win and hope Marquez finished lower than eleventh place to take the title, crashed out six laps from the end of the Valencia GP while in third place.
The satisfaction remains however for a fantastic season in which Andrea won six races and fought for the title right down to the last round.
โI tried everything and I think that we have to be pleased with this weekend. We weren't as quick as Marquez but we fought to the very end. I pushed hard right from the first lap, I didn't make any mistakes and I put myself in the right position but unfortunately I didn't have many cards to play,โ he said.
One thing Dovi did admit to was that his teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, wasn't holding him up in the race in any way, despite the fact that he was constantly ignoring team ordersโฆ
โAt the start I thought I could pass Jorge but there were some points where I was losing and others were I was gaining: in the end staying behind him helped me ride in a smoother way, so it was positive he was in front of me.โ
โWe were all at the limit, even Marc who managed to save himself once again from a crash, and I want to congratulate him because also this year he managed to make the difference. At any rate I'm very happy with this season and I want to thank all the guys in the team, Ducati and all those who gave their support because our season has been over the top, full of satisfaction.โ
