Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo extended his unbroken run of podium finishes today in Portugal for the third round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. Having taken his fourth consecutive Estoril pole position start in yesterday’s qualifying heat, the reigning World Champion retained the lead from the off. Lorenzo completed a perfect 25 lap run in the lead before relinquishing to Pedrosa just three laps from the end, crossing the line in second place to take valuable championship points.
Lorenzo’s team mate Ben Spies was again denied the opportunity to complete the MotoGP race in Estoril. A tool used to temporarily block the fuel overflow pipe on grid was accidentally left in place for the race start, compromising the Texan’s ability to ride competitively. The tool’s location adjacent to the front brake lever made it impossible for him to brake effectively, ultimately affecting his concentration which resulted in a crash with fifteen laps remaining of the race.
The team will remain at Estoril tomorrow for an official MotoGP test session before heading to Le Mans in two weeks time for round four. Following today’s race Lorenzo adds another 20 points to his championship tally, giving him a total of 65 at the top of the table. Spies remains on ten points and sits in 14th position.
Jorge Lorenzo – Position 2nd – Time +3.051
“I made a good start and I’m really happy for that then I pushed to my maximum to try to open the gap to Dani. Unfortunately today was not the day for that, he was too strong and consistent and at the end he was maybe fresher to push. Second is a good result, we have a lot of points from three races so I think we are in a good way to keep fighting for the championship. I want to thank my team who worked really hard this weekend to make sure we were as competitive as we could be.”
Ben Spies – DNF
“I am bitterly disappointed with today. After a lot of hard work by the crew this weekend we started the race with a very competitive set up and I was feeling good. When I noticed the tool hadn’t been removed I tried to do it myself because it was right in there next to my brake lever. I managed to get it off but then this loose tube was flying around which was pretty scary. It really messed with my concentration as I was worried about taking out another rider in one of the corners and then I crashed. After the DNF at Jerez this was really frustrating as it was completely out of my control, nothing to it now but to move on and come back strong for Le Mans.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“A second place here at Estoril is very good, of course we would like to have won but it didn’t happen. Jorge led for 25 laps but Dani held on and had a little bit extra in his pocket at the end. He looked very stable and clean when he passed so Jorge was smart to settle for second. We gained a bit in split one and lost a bit in split four from qualifying, you win some, you lose some. Second place is ok and we’re still leading the championship. We’re going for podiums and if we can win then we’ll try, today we couldn’t.”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“Lorenzo took a lot of important points for the championship today. He led for most of the race riding impeccably. When he understood it was difficult to retain the lead he showed his maturity as a racer to secure second place. Ben has again been unlucky at Estoril. It is unfortunate that sometimes these human errors occur in racing at all levels. Fortunately he was uninjured and was able to avoid involving any other riders in the incident. Our focus is now on the test tomorrow and Le Mans in two weeks time.”
Top six for Edwards, Crutchlow shines again in Estoril
Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow continued their excellent start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in today’s Portuguese Grand Prix after the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo stormed to top eight finishes in Estoril.
Edwards claimed a season best sixth place finish after he’d produced a magnificent early challenge to fight with Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso as the Italian pair battled for fourth spot.
Taking advantage of the best weather conditions of the weekend that saw air temperatures hit 20 degrees, the experienced American looked poised to join the Rossi and Dovizioso battle on lap ten when he closed to within 1.5s of Dovizioso with a determined performance. But he almost immediately started to encounter a side grip issue and despite a rousing effort to remain in touch with Rossi and Dovizioso, he settled for a safe sixth position to finish leading non-factory rider once again. His top six position also moved him back into the top ten in the overall World Championship standings on 18-points after three rounds.
Crutchlow looked on course to secure his best MotoGP finish of a rookie season in which the British rider continues to show his incredible speed. The 2009 World Supersport champion was in outstanding form in the early stages to pull away from an exciting battle involving Hiroshi Aoyama, Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies.
Only Aoyama had the speed to match Crutchlow and the pair engaged in a captivating battle for seventh position. Aoyama took seventh on lap 20, but determined not to let the former 250cc World Champion streak away, Crutchlow retaliated on lap 25 with a clinically executed overtake. Crutchlow kept the hard charging Japanese rider at bay until the start of the final lap, and despite a brilliant attempt to re-pass at the final chicane, Crutchlow was just unable to claim seventh.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team will now prepare for its all-important home race at the historic Le Mans circuit later this month, with Edwards and Crutchlow looking to cement the Team’s position as the leading independent squad in the MotoGP World Championship.
Colin Edwards – Position 6th – Time +32.575
“I don’t know what happened at the start but there was stuff going on everywhere. I saw Casey have a big moment and then Simoncelli needed a parachute, so it was just survival for the first few corners and see what happened. I saw Valentino and Andrea right in front of me and I was ready to reel them in. I was getting closer but I was pushing so hard just to stay in touch I lost a bit of side grip in the middle of the race and the lap times dropped a bit. I couldn’t have tried any harder to catch them and felt I had the pace in some areas, but when I opened the throttle the traction control would kick in because I was having quite a bit of wheelspin. But to be in the top six in this field is still a great achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and me. I can’t really ask for anything more because I know the package I’m on and I know how fast the factory bikes are and the guys sat on top of them. A top six to take into the next race in France gives us all a lot of confidence because that is a big race for Tech 3 and Monster and I’m already looking forwad to going there.”
Cal Crutchlow – Position 8th – Time +40.912
“I’m happy enough with that because before the start of the weekend I’d have never thought it possible to finish in the top eight on a circuit I’d never even seen before. And considering I had problems with both my arms all weekend, it is a great feeling. My right arm, which I had the operation is fine, but my left arm is really sore because I’ve been compensating with it. But the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team have been awesome all weekend. They have experience of helping rookie riders and they are doing a great job for me. And they’ve adjusted the bike to help me feel more comfortable with the arm problems. It is a shame I couldn’t quite beat Aoyama at the end. Earlier in the race I felt really comfortable and kept some really fast and experienced guys behind me. It was a really good battle with Aoyama and while I don’t like to get beaten in a last lap fight, I gave him a good run for his money and it is great experience for me to be in a scrap like that. If I keep doing what I’m doing at the moment then there is no reason why on tracks that I know that I can’t be even further up. I’m really looking forward to Le Mans now. It is a massive race for the Team being in France and also for Monster, so I’ll be looking to get another top ten finish.”
Herve Poncharal – Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager
“That was a very good race. We were all a bit worried about the weather, even when we were on the grid, but it stayed dry and allowed Colin and Cal to finish comfortably inside the top eight. Colin had a brilliant start and he pushed really hard in the beginning and he managed to open a gap on the chasing pack to stay right behind Rossi and Dovizioso. He started to lose a bit of time but he could keep his position easily and sixth is a really good result, especially after the big disappointment of Spain when were so close to the podium. I am really pleased as Colin is doing an incredibly good job since the beginning of the season and he deserved to get in the top six. Cal was very strong all weekend again and he continues to amaze me. He was fighting really hard with Aoyama and he never gave up until the very last lap, even though he has less experience of MotoGP and much less experience of the Estoril track than Aoyama. I was a bit worried about his arm before the start of the race, but he showed that he is great in the fight and never gives up. The next race is our home Grand Prix and we are looking forward to a very good result as we know Yamaha is always very strong in Le Mans.”
2011 MotoGP Portugal
Estoril 01/05/2011 28 Laps
race I
1 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 45’51.483
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 0’03.051
3 Casey Stoner Honda AUS 0’07.658
4 Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 0’16.530
5 Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 0’16.555
6 Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 0’32.575
7 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 0’38.749
8 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0’40.912
9 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0’54.887
10 Randy De Puniet Ducati FRA 0’59.697
11 Toni Elias Honda ESP 1’00.374
12 Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 1’01.793
13 Alvaro Bautista Suzuki ESP 1’24.370
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 3 of 18
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 65
2. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 61
3. Casey Stoner Honda AUS 41
4. Valentino Rossi Ducati ITA 31
5. Andrea Dovizioso Honda ITA 30
6. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 30
7. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda JPN 28
8. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 21
9. Colin Edwards Yamaha USA 18
10. Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 14
11. Karel Abraham Ducati CZE 12
12. Toni Elias Honda ESP 12
13. Marco Simoncelli Honda ITA 11
14. Ben Spies Yamaha USA 10
15. Loris Capirossi Ducati ITA 9
16. John Hopkins Suzuki USA 6
