Lorenzo charges to dominant victory in dramatic Misano race
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 ElÃas | 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 |