Honda rider Marc Marquez says he was “on the limit” in his intense battle with Andrea Dovizioso for the Austrian Grand Prix victory.
The Red Bull Ring hosted a dramatic MotoGP race, with Marquez and Dovizioso being contenders from the very start and enjoying some feisty battles.
In the second part of the race, they swapped places numerous times as they fought for first place, with Dovizioso emerging ahead as the chequered flag closed in.
Marquez attempted an overtake at the penultimate corner on the last lap, before trying again with a dive up the inside of the final turn.
He ran wide and that let Dovizioso through, with Marquez having to settle for second. It was a risky move but he was satisfied that he gave it a go.
“I pushed 100% and I decided to go all-in – the championship is important but even second place is,” he said. “This year we were much closer but today Dovi, especially on the last laps, had a little bit more.
“A little bit everywhere except two left corners. I was losing everywhere but much faster there, maybe because he was on softer tyres.
“But I got to the limit and I tried in the last corner because if not, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well tonight.
“It was risky but I’m happy in the end because the 20 points are important. I was thinking about overtaking him in the penultimate corner but he closed the door and I’d had a few warnings there.
“I tried [at] the last corner but he understood perfectly what was going to happen – and he got the undercut.
“It was a really exciting race, when we were three hundredths apart, the adrenaline, I touched his rear at Turn 2, it was on the limit.
“But, we survived the race, we’re second, and if you said to me on Thursday I’d be second, I would say it’s a great result.
“Dovi deserves it because when he was behind me he was comfortable, and when I was behind him I was on the limit.”
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