Jorge Lorenzo's decision not to race at Sepang raised a lot of eyebrows. As Dovizioso put it, “things that only happen in Ducati with certain riders” The Italian's statement infuriated the Majorcan, who then attacked Andrea on Twitter.

Yet Marc Marquez defended his future team-mate during an interview with Radio Marca.

“We're talking about a rider who has raced at Assen 24 hours after surgery for a fractured collarbone. Sure, when you are not fighting for the title your pain tolerance is different but I think those who say Lorenzo skipped out just don't know anything about athletes”.

The Honda champion also highlighted how painful a wrist injury can be when riding a MotoGP.

“We sometimes ride with a broken collarbone because that is subject to movement that doesn't cause too much pain. But with the wrist there is constant pressure, that's why Lorenzo didn't race, pain prevented him from doing so”.