MotoGP: Portuguese Hat-trick for Lorenzo

By Cycle CanadaPosted on

2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo won his eighth race of the season on Sunday to take his third consecutive Portuguese MotoGP victory. 

The Spaniard who, after rain soaked sessions on Friday and Saturday, started from the pole today at Estoril under suddenly dry conditions, took the lead from Valentino Rossi on lap 14 and went on to finish the season’s penultimate race 8.629 seconds ahead of his Fiat Yamaha team-mate. Behind them Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso won a hard fought battle for third with rookie Marco Simoncelli at the finish line, edging out the San Carlo Gresini Honda rider for the final podium spot by just 0.059s. 

The lack of any dry track practice and setup time, after a 2 days of wet condtions, was particularly disastrous for two race favourites. MotoGP Rookie of the Year, Ben Spies had a nasty highside on turn 4 during the sighting lap. The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider was taken off the track on a stretcher with a dislocated left ankle and did not start the race. His participation in the final round in Valencia next week is now questionable. Ducati’s Casey Stoner, who hoped to continue his recent return to form,  lost his back end on lap 5 while running third. The Australian’s fifth crash of the season ended any hope of him capturing the 2010 runner-up title.  After his second place finish today at Estoril, and with only one race left, Valentino Rossi is now the only rider who can take second overall away from Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa; Rossi has 217 points, Pedrosa has 236. The Spaniard finished eighth today in his first race back since breaking his collarbone in a practice session crash at Motegi four weeks ago. 

2010 Estoril MotoGP – Race results
1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 46m 17.962s
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 46m 26.591s
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 46m 44.437s
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 46m 44.496s
5. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 46m 45.116s
6. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 46m 46.259s
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 46m 48.071s
8. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 47m 2.909s
9. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 47m 31.611s
10. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 47m 35.683s
11. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 47m 35.87s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda 47m 50.987s
13. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 47m 57.714s
DNF:
Carlos Checa ESP Pramac Racing
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team
Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing
DNS:
Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
2010 MotoGP Riders’ Championship Standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 358
2 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 236
3 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 217
4 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 205
5 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 195
6 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 163
= Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 163
8 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 115
9 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 110
10 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 100
11 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 99
12 Hector Barbera Aspar Racing Team 82
13 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 78
14 Alex Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 60
15 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 51
16 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 44
17 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 43
18 Alex de Angelis Interwetten Honda 11
19 Roger Lee Hayden LCR Honda 5
20 Kousuke Akiyoshi Interwetten Honda 4
21 Wataru Yoshikawa Fiat Yamaha Team 1

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