Lorenzo charges to dominant victory in dramatic Misano race

At this weekend’s Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera de Rimini in Misano it was Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo who charged to a dominant victory in a dramatic race ahead of Valentino Rossi and Ã�lvaro Bautista. It was a problematic start as a partially aborted start due to issues with Karel Abraham’s Cardion AB Racing Ducati prompted a re-start. The race was then shortened to 27 laps due to the additional sighting lap, yet in another twist, pole-sitter Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa then also had to start from the back of the grid after wheeling his bike into pit-lane to re-start it.

The story unfolded further and the championship battle took yet another blow, as Pedrosa was taken out in the first few bends by the front wheel of Pramac Racings’ Hector Barberá, as the Repsol rider was making his way up the field. At the front it was Lorenzo who had made the best start, followed by a valiant Valentino Rossi on board his Ducati, and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl.

It was a crash-strewn affair from the beginning as Abraham, Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow all tumbled out in the opening laps. Crutchlow’s teammate Dovizioso was sticking to Bradl, as San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Ã�lvaro Bautista took Yamaha’s Ben Spies for fifth. With 19 laps remaining Lorenzo had pulled out a lead over Rossi, who was working tirelessly to keep Bradl at bay.

With 12 laps to go Bautista had caught up to the rear wheel of Dovizioso and was looking for a way through. After stalking him for over half the lap he made his way through into fourth to chase Bradl, whom he caught up with two laps later. Bautista looked like a man possessed as he then pushed his way past the German into the final podium spot. Behind the Spaniard, Bradl, Dovizioso and Spies were all closing in with seven laps to go to battle it out for third spot.

With three laps to go Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargar¢ retired from the race, as Dovizioso and Spies had made their was past Bradl. And it was Dovizioso who provided the nail-bighting finish tussling with Bautista until the bitter end. Yet it was Lorenzo who finally took the checkered flag with an ecstatic Rossi in second and Bautista recording his first ever MotoGP podium in third after a photo finish with Dovizioso. Lorenzo’s sixth victory leaves him 38-points clear at the top of the championship, while Rossi’s podium was his best finish on a Ducati in the dry. Behind Dovizioso in fifth was Spies, ahead of Bradl and Ducati’s Nicky Hayden. Repsol Honda’s Rea did well to finish eighth in his first GP race, ahead of Espargaro teammate Randy de Puniet and San Carlo’s Michele Pirro.

Results

Pos Rider Time/Behind Nat Bike Team
1 Jorge Lorenzo 42'49.836 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing Team
2 Valentino Rossi +4.398 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
3 Alvaro Bautista +6.055 SPA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
4 Andrea Dovizioso +6.058 ITA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Ben Spies +7.543 USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing Team
6 Stefan Bradl +13.272 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
7 Nicky Hayden +40.907 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
8 Jonathan Rea +43.162 GBR HONDA Repsol Honda Team
9 Randy De Puniet +1'09.627 FRA ART Aspar Team MotoGP
10 Michele Pirro +1'13.605 ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
11 Colin Edwards +1'16.695 USA SUTER NGM Mobile Forward Racing
12 Yonny Hernandez +1'19.073 COL BQR-FTR BQR
13 James Ellison +1'19.408 GBR ART Paul Bird Racing
14 Danilo Petrucci +1 lap ITA IODA Ioda Racing Project
15 David Salom +1 lap SPA BQR-FTR BQR
16 Aleix Espargaro DNF ESP ART Aspar Team MotoGP
17 Cal Crutchlow DNF GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
18 Mattia Pasini DNF ITA ART Speed Master
19 Hector Barbera DNF SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
20 Dani Pedrosa DNF SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
21 Karel Abraham DNF CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing

Championship standings

Pos Rider Points Nat Bike Team
1 Jorge Lorenzo 270 pts SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing Team
2 Dani Pedrosa 232 pts SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
3 Casey Stoner 186 pts AUS HONDA Repsol Honda Team
4 Andrea Dovizioso 163 pts ITA YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Cal Crutchlow 122 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
6 Valentino Rossi 120 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
7 Alvaro Bautista 118 pts SPA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
8 Stefan Bradl 115 pts GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
9 Nicky Hayden 93 pts USA DUCATI Ducati Team
10 Ben Spies 77 pts USA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing Team
11 Hector Barbera 60 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
12 Randy De Puniet 48 pts FRA ART Aspar Team MotoGP
13 Aleix Espargaro 45 pts ESP ART Aspar Team MotoGP
14 Yonny Hernandez 25 pts COL BQR-FTR BQR
15 Karel Abraham 25 pts CZE DUCATI Cardion AB Motoracing
16 Michele Pirro 24 pts ITA HONDA San Carlo Honda Gresini
17 Colin Edwards 22 pts USA SUTER NGM Mobile Forward Racing
18 James Ellison 17 pts GBR ART Paul Bird Racing
19 Mattia Pasini 13 pts ITA ART Speed Master
20 Danilo Petrucci 11 pts ITA IODA Ioda Racing Project
21 Ivan Silva 11 pts SPA BQR-FTR BQR
22 Toni Elías 10 pts SPA DUCATI Pramac Racing
23 Jonathan Rea 8 pts GBR HONDA Repsol Honda Team
24 Steve Rapp 2 pts USA N/A Attack Performance
25 David Salom 1 pts SPA BQR-FTR BQR
26 Franco Battaini 0 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
27 Chris Vermeulen 0 pts AUS SUTER NGM Mobile Forward Racing
28 Aaron Yates 0 pts USA N/A GP Tech