Six-time champion increases championship lead again on MotoGP’s chasing pack at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Few sportsmen of the calibre of Valentino Rossi are able to hold their hands up and confess to their mistakes so easily, but Rossi’s admission of his error at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix in the last round of the MotoGP world championship, in the form of a donkey painted on his helmet, was more self-deprecating than most.
Having snatched pole at Misano, Rossi made a poor start on the Yamaha, with the charging Dani Pedrosa and Toni Elias leading into the first lap. Behind them, carnage reigned as Alex de Angelis, in an attempt to scythe through the field, thumped into Colin Edwards, who also took out Nicky Hayden. 2006 champion Hayden, on the podium last time out in Indy and on the pace again, made his feelings clear to de Angelis as they tramped through the gravel and out of the race.
Jorge Lorenzo missed being caught in the de Angelis/Edwards/Hayden mêlée by mere centimetres, and the young Spaniard, victor at the Brickyard on August 30, wasted no time in hunting down his team-mate and championship rival Rossi in third, and took the place, while Pedrosa and Elias squabbled over positions one and two up ahead.
With 26 laps still to go, a four-bike train of Pedrosa, Elias, Lorenzo and Rossi had formed, though the frustrated Fiat Yamaha riders, clearly the best for pace, swapped places two laps later. Rossi quickly hunted down Elias for second, but the Gresini Honda rider made the pass more difficult for compatriot Lorenzo before eventually ceding third, giving Rossi breathing space ahead to attack frontman Pedrosa.
© Repsol Media Service/Red Bull Photofiles
Pedrosa was keeping it all under control on the Honda to frustrate Rossi, but with 21 laps to go and the pressure increasing, Dani went wide and Rossi cruised through to a cacophony of horns and the wild waving of flags from the Misano crowd. The faces were longer in the Lorenzo half of the Yamaha garage, however.
Rossi now played it safe, keeping Lorenzo just far enough behind without allowing the possibility of any championship-defining spills, while Pedrosa, falling back, was comfortable in third.
A sea of yellow ‘46’ flags heralded yet another win as Rossi retook the initiative in the title fight, with his team-mate and Pedrosa cruising into the second and third podium spots. There was a battle royal for fourth, however, with Pedrosa’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, winner at Donington, just keeping Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi at bay as the pair crossed the finishing line.
“I am so happy,” said Rossi after the race, admitting that the reason for his sluggish start had been a heavy fuel load and that he was “not 100 per cent confident”.
“It was a perfect weekend,” added Rossi. “We were always very fast in all the practices, and we are always proud of all the fans here in Misano. Thanks to them for all their support.”
Lorenzo acknowledged his good fortune at avoiding the first-lap mayhem just behind him, and credited Rossi with holding off his challenge.
“I pushed as much as I could,” said Lorenzo. “I overtook Dani, but [Valentino] was too far forward – but he’s the number one this weekend…”
For his part, Pedrosa moved above the absent Casey Stoner into third in the title chase, despite the Honda once again lacking pace and misfiring.
“Today, Rossi and Lorenzo were faster on every corner, so it was just good for me to finish third,” Pedrosa said.
Championship standings:
1. Valentino Rossi 237pts
2. Jorge Lorenzo 207pts
3. Dani Pedrosa 157pts
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