Monday 02 May: A month's break because the Japan GP was cancelled, the Moto GP series returned at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal.
After a race long duel with fellow Spaniard, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha
Factory Racing), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) raced to victory at the
bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal and with it, claimed his first win at the
Estoril circuit in any class. Third was Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda).
Pedrosa who only recently had surgery on
his injured shoulder, had been seemingly pacing himself behind the
leader, Lorenzo, until the final three laps, when the Repsol Honda
rider, passed the Yamaha down the straight and then delivered a
succession of fastest laps to pass the chequered flag first. Pedrosa
finished just over three seconds ahead of the reigning MotoGP World
Champion and closed the gap on Lorenzo’s lead in the standings to just
four points. Pedrosa’s triumph also prevented the pole sitter clinching
four successive victories at the Estoril circuit.
Stoner had a lonely race in third and was over seven seconds behind
his team mate who won the race. The former MotoGP World Champion has
never won at Estoril (one of only five circuits the Australian has
failed to clinch victory at). The eyes were all on the battle behind the
Australian between Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) and Andrea Dovizioso.
The Repsol Honda rider stayed close to Rossi throughout the race and
managed to snatch the fourth place on the very last lap as they crossed
the start finish line, by a mere 0.025s. The nine time World Champion’
previous lowest result here in Estoril had been a fourth place from 11
starts, before the pass from his fellow compatriot over the line.
It was a good day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team. Colin Edwards
arrived home in sixth position, two ahead of Cal Crutchlow. The British
rookie had been involved in a tussle with Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo
Honda Gresini), but the Japanese rider got the better of the former
World Supersport champion. Crutchlow was one of many riders racing
following an operation and has continued to pick up points in his first
season in the premier class.
Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) was ninth, after racing with Ben Spies
early on and the final place in the top ten went to Frenchman Randy de
Puniet (Pramac Racing) who was recovering after an operation on his leg.
Toni Elías (LCR Honda) who won here in 2006, was 11th after fighting
with Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing) and edging out the most experienced
rider in the field, come the end of the race.
In the first race of the season for Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki),
after missing the opening two rounds, the Spaniard battled through the
pain barrier to record 13th place and claim three points, just six weeks
after breaking his leg.
Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) who started from the
first row, which was only his second front row start in the premier
class, suffered his second accident of the Portuguese weekend on the
first lap. The Italian who c crashed whilst in contention for pole
position during qualifying, came off at the beginning of the race whilst
in third.
Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) struggled on his second visit to
Estoril after several excursions off the track and dropping down to
tenth. The American then crashed and was unable to restart the bike.
Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Team) had scored points in 19 of the
past 20 races since he began his MotoGP career, but this race wasn’t to
be for the Spaniard after crashing out on the opening lap with a nasty
looking highside. Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) who qualified
ahead of the factory Ducati of Hayden in just his third GP start, had
his first non-finish of his debut MotoGP campaign after an early off
brought his race to a halt.
Moto 2: Bradl takes second win of the season after Iannone crashes with 3 laps to go.
After an exciting tussle in the last few laps Stefan Bradl
(Viessmann Kiefer Racing) managed to hold off Julián Simón (Mapfre
Aspar) to claim victory in the bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal. It was a
poignant rostrum finish for Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) in third
after the tragic death of his brother.
The German rider kept his cool during an
eventful race at the front to take his third victory in the Moto2 class
and the fifth of his career. The Kalex rider has increased his lead in
the World Championship to 13 points over Andrea Iannone (Speed Master).
The Italian rider looked potentially on course to triumph in Estoril
after clawing his way through the field from starting from the middle of
the fifth row, to be leading with only a few laps to go after passing
Bradl. However the Suter rider crashed and eventually finished in 13th
place, 42 seconds behind the winner. (he was pushing too hard to clear out from Bradl and Simon - Alan H.)
Bradl and Simón had a mouthwatering fight in the last few laps and it
was Bradl who crossed the start finish line a mere 0.147s ahead of the
Spaniard. The Mapfre Aspar rider was aiming to collect his maiden Moto2
victory in the class, but had to settle for second place and his 23rd
career podium. Takahashi was an emotional third, a further six seconds
behind the battle at the front.
It was a positive weekend for Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP)
after his highest grid position in Moto2 yesterday starting from fifth.
Aegerter then also finished the race with his best result in the class
with fourth place. Simone Corsi (Ioda Racing Project) was in fifth, Pol
Espargaró (HP Tuenti Speed Up) sixth and Randy Krummenacher (GP Team
Switzerland Kiefer Racing) seventh.
Alex Baldolini (Forward Racing) who had his only ever podium in Grand
Prix racing, here at the circuit in 2010, had his best result of the
2011 campaign in eighth place, ahead of Mike di Meglio (Tech 3) and
Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX) in ninth and tenth.
Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) had got the better of Bradl
after a few laps in and had just set the fastest lap of the race whilst
attempting to pull away at the front, when he lost the front end of his
Suter and went down at turn 13. That was the end of the Swiss rider’s
race and he had to return to the pits to retire.
Reigning 125cc World Champion Marc Márquez (Team CatalunyaCaixa
Repsol) lost control of his bike whilst dicing with Scott Redding (Marc
VDS Racing) and clattered into the British rider forcing them both off
into the gravel. With both riders failing to score so far in this year’s
Moto2 campaign, they both managed to continue but finished down in 21st
and 25th respectively, It was not a good day for the British riders in
the intermediate class as Bradley Smith (Tech 3) was forced to pull into
the pits with tyre issues with ten laps to go and was classified 29th.
After challenging for a rostrum position, Kenan Sofuoglu suffered an
accident which brought an early halt to his race whilst racing in fifth
place for Technomag-CIP. Rookie Michele Pirro (Gresini Racing Moto2) had
his first non finish in Moto2, crashing out of sixth place on lap one
after achieving his best ever qualifying result in Grand Prix. Jules
Cluzel (Forward Racing) was another rider not to reach the chequered
flag after his fall mid way through the race.
Kev Coghlan (Team Aeroport de Castelló) did not start the race
despite qualifying 37th. The Scotsman suffering from an injury in
training, crashed again during the weekend and therefore did not take
part in the Moto2 race today.
125: Terol coasts to back-to-back wins in Portugal
Bankia Aspar’s Nicolas Terol continued his perfect start to
the 2011 season with his third successive win of the 125cc campaign at
the bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal. The Spaniard dominated at the front
in Estoril and led home Sandro Cortese (Intact-Racing Team Germany) and
Johann Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo).
Pole sitter Terol become the first rider
to win the opening three 125cc GP races since Masao Azuma in 1999. The
22 year old extended his lead in the championship standings to 25 points
after securing maximum points after three rounds and claimed his eighth
career victory.
Cortese who qualified second, continued his run of grid positions in
the top two for this year’s 125cc season and fought with the most
experienced rider in the class Héctor Faubel (Bankia Aspar) through the
middle of the race. They led a gaggle of riders for an intense battle
including Maverick Viñales (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing) and Johann
Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo). However, Faubel hit the tarmac after crashing
with just a few laps remaining, when he was in line for the final spot
on the rostrum.
The Frenchman who achieved his first podium in 125cc at the last
round in Jerez, made it two in a row, after a photo-finish between him
and rookie rider Viñales decided that the Ajo Motorsport beat him on the
line. The difference between third and fourth was a marginal two
thousandths of a second. Fourth place was the Spaniard’s best result of
his debut campaign in 125cc, after narrowly missing the opportunity to
stand on the rostrum.
Jonas Folger (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) who is now joint third in the
championship with Zarco, was fifth, ahead of Efrén Vázquez
(Avant-AirAsia-Ajo). Miguel Oliveira (Team Andalucía Banca Cívica) who
became the first Portuguese rider to start on the front row of a Grand
Prix grid, finished in seventh in front of his local fans, in his third
race of his rookie season.
Luis Salom (RW Racing GP) was eighth, one spot in front of the
second Bankia Aspar bike of Adrián Martín. Tenth went to Simone Grotzkyj
(Phonica Racing).
Danny Kent (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) who was penalised for a jump
start, had a ride through penalty but came through to finish in 15th and
clinch the last point on offer. Kent fought off competition from fellow
compatriot, Danny Webb (Mahindra Racing) who had to settle for 16th.
The third British rider Harry Stafford (Ongetta-Centro Seta) had a crash
towards the latter stages of the race and had to return to the pits.
Taylor Mackenzie (Phonica Racing) who qualified 26th after a crash,
didn’t start the race due to injuries sustained in the accident.
Alberto Moncayo (Team Andalucía Banca Cívica) after qualifying
fifth, had bike problems which prevented him taking his place on the
starting grid and the Spaniard failed to start the race.