Dovizioso wins wet Valencia MotoGP, Espargaro takes maiden KTM podium

Full Valencia MotoGP race results

Andrea Dovizioso has secured the final win of the 2018 MotoGP campaign in a frantic restarted race in the rain in Valencia, as Pol Espargaro claims Red Bull KTM’s first-ever podium in the premier class.

After the initial race was red-flagged due to heavy rain making track conditions unsafe after 15 laps, the Valencia MotoGP restarted with a 14-lap sprint event but with notable absentees including reigning world champion Marc Marquez and pole-sitter Maverick Vinales as a number of riders crashed out in the first start.

Alex Rins, who darted into the lead in the same style he led the opening race, was chased by Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi in a three-rider breakaway.

Dovizioso demonstrated superior pace as the rain relented to reel in Rins and pass the Suzuki rider into Turn 1 at the start of the second lap before quickly building a useful lead.

Rossi also got by Rins for second place before crashing off while pushing to catch Dovizioso, which instantly gave the Ducati rider a gap to control ahead of Rins to take a Ducati victory for the first time in 10 years at Valencia.

With Rins settling for second place, Pol Espargaro recovered from an off in the opening race to power to the podium, marking Red Bull KTM’s first-ever podium in the premier class. 

Ducati test rider and wildcard Michele Pirro grabbed an impressive fourth place as Dani Pedrosa signed off his MotoGP career with a battling fifth place as top Honda rider with rookie Takaaki Nakagami impressing in sixth place for LCR Honda.

Johann Zarco claimed the top MotoGP Independent honours for a second straight year with seventh place for Monster Yamaha Tech3 on its final race with the Japanese manufacturer.

Bradley Smith, another to recover from an opening race off, ended his Red Bull KTM partnership with his best result of the year in eighth place ahead of LCR Honda stand-in Stefan Bradl as Tech3’s Hafizh Syahrin rounded out the top ten.

Scott Redding also rounded out his MotoGP career with 11^th place for Aprilia before his move to British Superbikes next season.

Jorge Lorenzo battled his recently-operated left wrist injury to take 12^th place on his final Ducati race with Rossi remounting to 13^th place on the factory Yamaha as Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Ducati) and Jordi Torres (Avintia Ducati) rounded out the points as the final finishers.