MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy 2017 Results: Andrea Dovizioso Wins Thrilling Race

Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso won an absorbing Italian MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday at Mugello, holding off a challenge from Yamaha's Maverick Vinales and Octo Pramac's Danilo Petrucci.

Starting third on the grid, Dovizioso moved to the head of the race early on and rode superbly to beat a clutch of riders in close proximity. It meant championship leader Vinales had to make do with second spot, while Petrucci performed superbly to secure an unlikely podium for his team.

Crowd favourite Valentino Rossi was only good enough for fourth on the day, while world champion Marc Marquez was down in sixth for Honda.

After this eventful race, the Moto Race Feed relayed the result and the updated standings in the battle for the world championship:

Dovizioso Wins on Home Soil

Much to the delight of the home crowd, it was Rossi who surged into the lead off the line, pulling clear of pole-sitter Vinales. However, for much of the early stages, it was the Ducatis that were looking strongest.

Jorge Lorenzo, Rossi's former Yamaha team-mate, was the first to show his speed. As we can see per the MotoGP Twitter feed, he produced some supreme riding to reel in the Italian and Vinales:

Dovizioso, meanwhile, was maintaining distance and waiting for the right time to strike a little further back. That was as Lorenzo slipped down the field, leaving a four-man battle for the lead between Dovizioso, Rossi, Petrucci and Vinales.

It was the latter of the quartet who had taken the lead, but the youngster was caught napping by the Ducati man.

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Dovizioso blasted around the outside of the Yamaha to lead into San Donato and then consolidated his position by banging in a brilliant first sector on the next lap. As the other men in the lead group looked around at each other, the Italian pulled out a gap out front.

From there, Dovizioso rode a brilliant race. There were times when Vinales and Petrucci were within half a second of the leader, as they each came on strong in the second half. But the Ducati was looking strong, and whenever the duo closed in, Dovizioso was able to rebuild the buffer.

MotoGP journalist Neil Morrison hailed the display of Dovizioso, suggesting it's the best win of his three career triumphs so far:

Indeed, the focus was on the fight for the podium spots in the final stages with the Ducati supreme, as Vinales eventually overcame Petrucci.

Even so, the Pramac rider was able to keep Rossi at arm's length to earn the first podium of his MotoGP career. As we can see here, courtesy of the Moto Race Feed, Petrucci was well backed on the day at his home race:

So too was Dovizioso, who was clearly emotional as he crossed the line to clinch this one. The 31-year-old showed all of his experience on Sunday, managing his start brilliantly, staying patient and then, when he got in front, keeping a clutch of competitors at bay.

In another boost for the Ducati man, the win moves him up into second spot in the overall standings ahead of Rossi. Dovizioso trails Vinales by 26 points, with the riders' next stop the Catalunya Grand Prix in a week's time.