| Article 251-1 - MotoGP |
MotoGP
Last Sunday, saw Round Two of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship, and a dramatic race at Jerez, in Spain, with many changes of fortune, and twists of fate, which left reigning World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo victorious, for Yamaha Factory Racing, and Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda, second. Ducati Team and Nicky Hayden were third in the MotoGP Class.
Scattered throughout the race, were crashes, when Valentino Rossi, Ducati Team, took Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner out of the race, Rossi managing to continue to ride, into fifth position; Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini, crashed out from an amazing race lead, and Ben Spies, Yamaha Factory Racing, saw a stunning ride end in the gravel.
British "rookie", Cal Crutchlow, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, will be well pleased with his eighth place.
After the past weekend's Gran Premio bwin de Espana, Jorge Lorenzo leads the Championship standings, with 45 points, followed by Dani Pedrosa, 36, and Casey Stoner, 25.
In the rest of the action at Jerez; Moto2 winner, second and third, were Andrea Iannone, Thomas Luthi, and Simon Corsi, respectively. Bradley Smith was highest place "Brit" in fourth place. The 125cc event was won by Nicolas Terol, with Jonas Folger second, and Johann Zarco, third. Danny Kent, for Great Britain, finished fourth.
The Bridgestone tyres coped splendidly with the changing conditions, as the MotoGP race started wet, became drier, and finished damp; being the first "wet MotoGP race" since the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2009. All riders used the tyre manufacturer's soft compound wets.
Highlights (and "lows") from Sunday's MotoGP race were the dashing of Casey Stoner's hopes, and a surprise from Dani Pedrosa, who appeared to languish at the start of the race, but recovered to come home second. Not to mention Valentino Rossi's most successful outing yet, since switching to the Ducati, with which he at last appeared to feel comfortable, riding from twelfth position on the starting line, and recovering from the crash with Stoner, to finish not far off the podium !
Looking ahead, next time out will be 1st May, at Estoril, for the bwin GRANDE PREMIO DE PORTUGAL.
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