The shock transformation of MotoGP's new marked man

The emergence of Andrea Dovizioso as Marc Marquez's main challenger for the 2017 MotoGP title was a shock to everybody - even Marquez. A lot transpired to make his transition to Ducati's surprise team leader possible…

Jamie Klein Nov 20, 2017, 5:29 PM

Although the Valencia finale provided a fittingly dramatic conclusion to this most exceptional of MotoGP seasons, it wasn't quite the fairytale ending for Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati for which many fans had been hoping.

It was always going to be a tall order for Dovizioso to beat Marc Marquez, faced with that mammoth 21-point deficit and a Ricardo Tormo circuit around which Honda held a decisive edge over Ducati's Desmosedici. He inevitably fell short.

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Author Jamie Klein

Jamie Klein is one of Motorsport.com’s Global News Editors, reporting primarily on the FIA World Endurance Championship, Super Formula and SUPER GT. He took his first steps into motorsport journalism in 2013 as a freelancer before joining Motorsport Network full-time in 2015 as UK Editor. In 2016, he moved into a more wide-ranging role as he became a regular in the paddocks of the WEC and MotoGP. After a two-month trip to Japan in late 2018 gave him his first taste of reporting live on Super Formula and SUPER GT, he made the move to Tokyo permanently in 2019, and has been a regular presence in both paddocks since 2020. Away from motorsport, he is studying the Japanese language and can often be found relaxing in an ‘onsen’ (hot spring) or gorging on ramen, occasionally at the same time. He can be found on Twitter at @JamieKlein_.