Defending champ Casey Stoner (Honda) won an exciting duel with Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) at Jerez earlier today to take the win ahead of Lorenzo in second and Dani Pedrosa (Honda) in third.
Lorenzo has a slim points lead over Stoner in the championship. For additional details, results and points, visit the official MotoGP site.
| Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 25 | 1 | Casey STONER | AUS | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 157.3 | 45’33.897 |
| 2 | 20 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | 157.2 | +0.947 |
| 3 | 16 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 157.1 | +2.063 |
| 4 | 13 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 157.1 | +2.465 |
| 5 | 11 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 156.2 | +18.100 |
| 6 | 10 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 156.0 | +21.395 |
| 7 | 9 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | GER | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 155.6 | +28.637 |
| 8 | 8 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 155.6 | +28.869 |
| 9 | 7 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 155.3 | +34.852 |
| 10 | 6 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Pramac Racing Team | Ducati | 155.3 | +35.103 |
| 11 | 5 | 11 | Ben SPIES | USA | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | 155.1 | +38.041 |
| 12 | 4 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Power Electronics Aspar | ART | 153.2 | +1’12.728 |
| 13 | 3 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Came IodaRacing Project | Ioda | 152.9 | +1’18.669 |
| 14 | 2 | 54 | Mattia PASINI | ITA | Speed Master | ART | 152.3 | +1’29.142 |
| 15 | 1 | 22 | Ivan SILVA | SPA | Avintia Blusens | BQR | 152.1 | +1’32.478 |
| 16 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | Suter | 151.7 | +1’40.577 | |
| 17 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Cardion AB Motoracing | Ducati | 150.6 | 1 Lap |
BTW for those that think nobody is interested in MotoGP anymore and that WSBK is where it’s at, should note that there were 2 posts on the recent WSBK results thread and already 16 on this thread. Menthinks MotoGP is still the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.
I can’t even imagine what Rossi and Ducati are going to do next. Now that Audi bought Ducati, Rossi now rides for VW. That ought to do something….
Good race.
I think it’s too early to say there’s something up with Ben Spies. I agree that he’s usually more successful over a two race span (not long ago we saw Ben getting pipped at the line by Casey Stoner). I wonder if he likes the other Riders too much? Does he need rivalry/dislike to stoke his inner fire? I believe that the School of Mat Maladin tempered him mentally and I don’t expect him to quit fighting. I thought this would be a breakthrough year for Ben that would bring him up with or closer to “the Aliens”, we’ll see.
Cal’s looking Real good so far… Tech 3 is going to get a podium this year!?
Nicky looks good scrambling for all he can get on the Ducati (a wet race would be good for the Ducati team). Hopefully they can find more speed in the dry from the Duc. Rossi, to his credit, seems like he’s getting his head back into the game.
Casey and Jorge seem to be the cream, still, beating those guys is tough.
I’m hoping for a safe season, so far it looks let it’s going to be a good one.
I’d love to know how Jorge was able to close in on Stoner late in the race … only to see Casey put the hammer down in the last two laps, leaving him in the dust. I don’t know what actually happened, but here’s what it looked like: Casey deliberately slowed down, then gassed it back up, as if to say, “Made ya look! Sucker!”
Lorenzo said his front tire let him down in the ending laps, just like what happened to Hayden.
Spies’ has shown nothing to indicate he will win a MotoGP championship, exactly as I predicted when he arrived in the class.
This is of no consequence and certainly no surprise. It is a simple mathematical reality/law of averages for most competitors in this the “premier” road racing class.
wow… I didn’t know Julian Ryder was writing in the column.
No chance for Spies for championship? that took a crystal ball to predict.
The top 3 are going to be the top 3 all year. Ducati remains uncompetitive, and what is Ben’s problem this year. At least the CRT guys are competitive within their group.
At the end of the day, the Honda’s horsepower was too much, allowing Stoner to pull away on the straights, but at least the top two riders are battling it out. Yamaha needs to find a few more horsepower for Lorenzo and we’ll be looking at a great season.
..just as with last year but we’re obviously only two races in. Anything can happen and I wish the riders safe. From what I see the racing is similar to what we saw with the 800’s. I never thought putting everyone on 1000’s would mix it up much.
Both races have been closer than most of the races last year, so I think there has been some improvement, but it still isn’t perfect.
That was a master class by Stoner. Started from fith, passed everyone cleanly, then just as Lorenzo looked like having a chance at a passing move Stoner found some more speed! That would have to be demorilising for a lot of other riders. Does any one know what is going on with Spies?
A pretty good race. Turned out which front tire you chose had a lot to do with your results. Usual suspects up front. At least the track stayed pretty much dry. Nicky Hayden looked good for the first few laps, but his soft front tire stopped that.
Stoner used soft tyres.
Maybe, but just because it worked on the Honda doesn’t mean it works on other brand bikes. The riders have different styles too.
Stayed close longer than usual. Crutchlow and Dovisioso are putting in good rides this year. Expected from Dovi, Crutchlow has been a pleasant suprise.
This has been Nicky’s modus operandi for a while now, get in a few good laps then work his way back to a points paying finish, but further from the podium than when he started.
I agree with the sentiment of others..what is going on with Spies?
re: “what is going on with Spies?”
also tyres. but in ben’s case just when he’s spent the past 2 years adapting to the old spec, they go and “pull the rug” out from under him so to speak and change the formulation. interesting that him and rossi appear to be suffering the most as those 2 use/used the same technique/riding style. conservation of angular momentum is the big and tall man’s secret to cutting fast laps. notice spies’ lack of elbows as of late…??? when a tyre/bike combination erodes one’s ability to harness this physical principle, they’re screwed. you are now in the know.
With all the passing on the outside Hayden was doing, I’d say he was looking more than good! Too bad it didn’t last…