The curtain comes down on another stunning and record-breaking MotoGP season
After another three stunning races on Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the FIM Awards ceremony brought the incredible 2017 season to a close – with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) taking top billing, and Marquez receiving his MotoGP™ World Champion trophy after taking the title earlier in the day in a dramatic final race.
The 2017 Awards were hosted by Dylan Gray and Izaskun Ruiz, with Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and FIM President Vito Ippolito in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening.
Youngest ever six-time World Champion Marquez took center stage as he received his hard-earned 2017 MotoGP™ trophy, along with Moto2™ World Champion Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) – two riders who also re-wrote some history in 2017.
The MotoGP™ Rookie of the Year award was presented to Valencia GP podium finisher Johann Zarco of Monster Yamaha Tech 3, with the Frenchman also taking the title of top Independent Team rider in 2017 following a stunning campaign.
In Moto2™, Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Francesco Bagnaia received the Rookie of the Year prize, with Ayumu Sasaki (SIC Racing Team) taking Moto3™ Rookie of the Year after a great final race for the Japanese rider at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
The BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP™ class went to Marquez for the fifth year in a row, and the Tissot Pole of Poles went to Morbidelli in Moto2™ and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) in Moto3™.
The Repsol Honda Team picked up the MotoGP™ Team world title trophy after the results in the race earlier on Sunday, and Honda took the MotoGP™ Constructor Title in the premier class. Kalex came out on top in Moto2™, and Honda in Moto3™.
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion Kazuki Masaki, runner-up Aleix Viu and third-placed rider Can Öncü also made appearances on stage to receive their medals for their fantastic seasons in the Cup.
Now the dust is left to settle for a day and the cava flows free, until Tuesday sees the engines fire up once more as testing begins for 2018.
eom/MotoGP press release
