Alex Rins Wins 2019 MotoGP Grand Prix of Britain; Andrea Dovizioso Crashes Out

Alex Rins won the MotoGP Grand Prix of Britain on Sunday, while Andrea Dovizioso crashed out in a major accident.

Rins just edged out Marc Marquez on the finish line, sticking a late move to win by the smallest of margins:

Dovizioso made contact with Fabio Quartararo early in the race, sending the Italian flying through the air. His bike also caught fire:

He was taken off the track on a stretcher but got to his feet once he was out of harm's way:

Dovizioso was Marquez's closest competitor in the overall standings entering the race, and Sunday's crash allowed the Spaniard to put even more distance between the two. He now has a 78-point lead, inching ever closer to his sixth world title and fourth in a row.

Marquez took the early lead ahead of Valentino Rossi after Dovizioso's crash shook up the pack. Rins passed Rossi for second, while Maverick Vinales lost ground early but eventually recovered to finish in third place.

Rins and Marquez sat at the front for the duration of the race, churning out several fastest laps between them. Vinales took too long to pass Rossi, and while he eventually started lapping faster than the leaders, he fell just short of catching them.

The battle for the lead turned into a slugfest, with defensive specialist Marquez holding off move after move from Rins:

His rear tyre took a beating, however, and Rins had the advantage in the final three laps. He experimented with a big move on the final corner during the penultimate lap, and when he realised he could stick it, he copied it during the final lap.

There was nothing Marquez could do after pushing his bike to the limit throughout the race:

While he lost out on the top spot in the final corner, the race weekend was still a major success for the 26-year-old. With just seven races left, the defending champion has a massive lead over the rest of the pack.