OMNISPORT

Andrea Dovizioso's victory at the Qatar Grand Prix will stand after MotoGP stewards rejected an appeal against the use of an aerodynamic device by Ducati.

Dovizioso won a thrilling opening race of the 2019 season in Doha on Sunday, the Italian beating Marc Marquez by 0.023 seconds at the Losail International Circuit.

The duo had enjoyed a gripping battle over the 22 laps, with Marquez failing to make a final-corner lunge stick as Dovizioso found better traction to get to the finish line first.

Following the conclusion of the race, four teams lodged a complaint with the stewards over a rear-tire winglet used on Dovizioso's Ducati. However, the protest was dismissed by the officials, meaning the race result stands.

"Concerning specific parts of the Ducati, protest made by multiple factory teams were rejected by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel," a statement read on the official MotoGP Twitter account. "The result of the QatarGP still stands. An appeals process in ongoing."