• Márquez finishes fifth to claim title after crash scare • Andrea Dovizioso crashes out six laps from end

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Marc Márquez won his fourth MotoGP world title in five years on Sunday after Andrea Dovizioso crashed during the season-concluding Valencia Grand Prix.

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Márquez only needed to finish in 11th place or better to seal the title. Starting from pole, the Spaniard steered his Honda to a third-place finish behind the race winner Dani Pedrosa.

Dovizioso was the sole rider who could challenge Márquez. His only hope of tipping Márquez for the title was to win the race and see Márquez finish 12th or worse. Instead, the Italian wiped out with six laps remaining.

Moments before Dovizioso lost control of his Ducati, Márquez had a scare when he barely managed to keep his bike up and on course for the championship.

MotoGP™🇪🇸🏁 (@MotoGP) DRAMA!!! Marquez runs on at turn one after a MASSSSSSIVE save! 😱



He rejoins in 5th! #FinalShowdown pic.twitter.com/nt4Lsy01UR

Márquez shared the victory with his fans at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo where he cemented his reputation as the biggest talent in motorbike racing. At 24, he has won four of the last five titles in the top category, to go with two titles he had previously won in the lower classes.

Pedrosa, another Honda rider, overtook Johann Zarco late in the race.

In Moto2, Miguel Oliviera won ahead of the champion Franco Morbidelli. In Moto3, the pole-sitter Jorge Martin won the race ahead of champion Joan Mir. It was Martin’s first race victory.