Dani Pedrosa (Honda) became the 8th different MotoGP rider to win a race this year, setting a new record. Pedrosa had to work his way up from a large deficit to the leader early in the race, but consistently lapped quicker than anyone else. Ultimately, he overtook Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi with several laps remaining and held on for the win.
Rossi finished second after making an aggressive pass on teammate Jorge Lorenzo early in the race. Lorenzo held on for third place.
Marc Marquez (Honda) finished fourth today, and continues to hold a sizeable points lead in the championship. Below are today’s results, and you can visit the official MotoGP site for additional details.
| Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 25 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 162.3 | 43’43.524 |
| 2 | 20 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 162.1 | +2.837 |
| 3 | 16 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 162.1 | +4.359 |
| 4 | 13 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 161.7 | +9.569 |
| 5 | 11 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 161.4 | +15.467 |
| 6 | 10 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati Team | Ducati | 161.1 | +19.676 |
| 7 | 9 | 51 | Michele PIRRO | Ducati Team | Ducati | 160.9 | +22.936 |
| 8 | 8 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 160.7 | +27.155 |
| 9 | 7 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | LCR Honda | Honda | 160.7 | +27.202 |
| 10 | 6 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 160.2 | +33.968 |
| 11 | 5 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | OCTO Pramac Yakhnich | Ducati | 159.9 | +39.206 |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 159.9 | +39.967 |
| 13 | 3 | 8 | Hector BARBERA | Avintia Racing | Ducati | 159.7 | +42.997 |
| 14 | 2 | 50 | Eugene LAVERTY | Pull & Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 159.3 | +49.450 |
| 15 | 1 | 45 | Scott REDDING | OCTO Pramac Yakhnich | Ducati | 159.0 | +54.879 |
| 16 | 68 | Yonny HERNANDEZ | Pull & Bear Aspar Team | Ducati | 158.4 | +1’05.072 | |
| 17 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 131.3 | 5 Laps |
See more of MD’s great photography:
Regarding Rossi’s pass on J(ennifer) Lo – I’ve seen reports that VR “pushed him wide” but to me the video sure looked more like VR took the line and JL tried to come in from outside of it and there was just no way.
I’m interested in who thinks what on this.
Note – I do think VR was hilarious in the press conference, and I do think that – regardless of the votes/opinions on the matter above – that J-Lo should stop being “King Puss of Puss Mountain” and sack up. And shave that field of dreams off his face till he can go all the way.
Rossi stuffed it up the inside, plain and simple. It’s not like he pulled a Marquez (or a Rossi vs Gibernau) and entered the corner at such an impossible angle that he could only make it by using his opponent’s bike as a bumper rail to put him back on line. Not at all. He had the opening, he took it, and a surprised Lorenzo was forced to stand it up after initiating his own turn.
Happens all the time, in every race.
I think Jlo was on the “classic line” in that corner and had not yet reached the apex to turn it in, but as Rossi has pointed out in the past there may be one perfect line around a race track, but that is not the ONLY line around a race track. By the time Jlo reached the apex and started to lean in, Rossi was already under and ahead of him using one of those “other” lines.
From what I’ve seen, Lorenzo typically takes wider lines than most riders, and that gives his opponents the opportunity to stuff him. The contact was just the result of Lorenzo not expecting Rossi to be there, IMO.
Concerning the post race press conference, JL should have just stopped with “he (Vale) would have caught and passed me eventually so it doesn’t really matter”. That would have been gracious and honest. Rossi, no matter what you think of him, always gives you that amazing grin and that “bring it” attitude that I love. I, for better or worse, make my judgements of people based on whether I’d enjoy sharing an evening of beers. Definite YES for #46. JL not so much.
What a great race, enjoyed that one quite a bit. Had no idea who was going to win. Dani rode a great race, pretty interesting how the different tires work for the different bikes and rider’s.
Just watched the post race press conference and my God is Lorenzo a wimp. Just have JL run the race by himself every race weekend and be done with it. At the same time then I guess Dorna needs to invest in a weather machine so Jorge can have the clear weather he needs to be able to do anything. Michelin needs to make tires for him that regrows tread as it runs or since he’ll be running by himself he can pit stop as many times as he likes to find the perfect tire…
Really looking forward to next season when his highness will be on the Duc.
PS. Really loved that backwards black baseball cap that he had on his Shark lid for the race.
“Respect my opinion”.
re: “Dani Pedrosa (Honda) became the 8th different MotoGP rider to win a race this year”
yeah I noticed, and now the limited few of us dinosaurs who’ve been paying attention for the past 20 years can’t help but notice our “BS detectors” are also PEGGED OFF SCALE. something stinks and it ain’t my new cologne.
(ok ok, that stinks too but that’s a separate conversation between me and the missus)
You have my attention, Norm G. What’s your take? Please elaborate. Also, BIG congrats to Pedrosa and Rossi is (to me) totally enjoyable before, during and after the race.
re: “Please elaborate”
it’s too perfect, and too hinted at by seasoned commentators who know better. it’s smacks of “human control” same as the Marcus run of 10. dani is the final straw though. the guy who’s almost NEVER aggressive, on cue suddenly shows “aggression”…? really…? I could almost hear the sound of the clapboard and the director yelling “ACTION” overtop the friggin’ engines.
and if the tire argument were legitimate, how is that only ONE bike every round seems to be magically nailing their set up…? Michelin aren’t even remotely new to the sport, and no crew chiefs or suspension techs on ANY of those teams are mugs. if the tires are good, experience has been they come good for more than one rider, not just the dude who’s been “pre-ordained” this weekend to receive the “golden pass”. it might jive with a “storyline”, but it doesn’t jive statistically.
if anything lightning should’ve at least struck by now for 1 of the top 3 guys (insert picture of Bolt from Thor’s finger here). but it can’t see, it can only strike for someone who a 25pt haul does NOT put them in a position to threaten the championship. sure it gives the winner “15 minutes of fame” for the photo op and their respective sponsors (so it’s not the worst idea ever) but conveniently it does NOT threaten the current “Merguez” point gap. it’s Ross’ backyard, and Jay OWNS Misano, but “Steely Dan” wins…?
I contend the organizers recognize they can only run this game on viewers in year 1 so they’ve got to make the most of it which is the the essence of business and capitalism. they know in year 2 it’s going to “strain credibility” with the bulk of viewers. at this rate I can only assume one of the HRC or YRC test riders will “come off the bench” to take the win at Motegi. hey, they accrue points in the championship, and test riders are people to, well aren’t they…?
Quite a conspiracy theory.
Yeah this is pretty out there…. As in “some planes flew by with them trails behind them” – you sure you’re alright Norm?
Under your guiding premise, Dovi is the logical winner of the next race. He’s the only factory Honda or Yamaha guy who hasn’t won one yet this season.
What do you mean Norm? Kind of reminds you of the 2006 season doesn’t it? 7 different winners if I remember correctly, with the beneficiary being one Nicky Hayden.
re: “Kind of reminds you of the 2006 season”
oh I know, and similar happened back at the turn of the Century in 2T500’s with KRJR reaping the benefits.
New tire supplier, satellite bikes now closer to factory bikes, Honda not all powerful this year, Marquez settling for points, wet weather, Ducati got a new track, aliens making mistakes, a new alien. What else?
+1, new shared ECU.
In recent years Dani has gotten much more competative in the latter part of the season just when everyone has written him off and doubted his value to HRC. I wonder if it’s going to be the same this year. Great rider but not the way to win championships. A pity – he’s much more likeable than MM.
“…more likable than MM.” Ten years ago he was the most hated man in America when he knocked down Nicky Hayden.
10 years ago I doubt most of America even knew Dani Pedrosa’s name. Heck, I’d wager the same thing today.
I was a big Pedro fan when I first got started following racing. But years of inconsistency just drove me away. When he’s hot, he’s unstoppable but he’s so rarely hot that it isn’t enough to see him through to a title. He will likely go down as the greatest rider to never win a premier class championship.
yep 10 years ago Pedrosa was a rookie in the MotoGP class coming off a 2x 250 championship and a 125 championship.
Another name of notoriety from the 2006 season… Jorge Lorenzo won the 250 title on an Aprilia.
I agree best rider to never win the Championship, and better than some who have.
I’m not sure Dani is the best to never win a championship. He has the best career stats, obviously, but this is 100% down to the fact that he’s been on a factory Repsol Honda his entire career. In the long history of the sport only Mick Doohan was also given eleven consecutive seasons on the same #1 factory ride, and he garnered five straight world titles, and probably wins one or two more if not for the way the doctors mangled his leg post-recovery in 1992.
Had Dani been treated the same as every other factory rider who failed to win a championship he would have been relegated to a B-level bike back around 2010 or so. From there, it would have been the usual downward spiral to satellite bikes, Open bikes, WSB, etc., and his career stats would look just as ordinary as everyone else’s who was forced to follow a similar career path.
Anyway, just off the top of my head, in a straight fight on equal machinery for a single race win or even a championship I think I would probably take the ever-unpopular Max Biaggi over Dani as the best rider to never win a championship in the premier class. I’d also have to give some thought to Randy Mamola.
Of those two I would probably give the tip to Biaggi simply for his 250cc Championships, and his WSBK championships. Both were equally successful in MotoGP with about a dozen wins and 50 podiums apiece. Both talented riders for sure. Couldn’t be any different personality wise lol.
Funny thing is Dani is the one that took Biaggi’s Repsol ride at the end of the 2005 season.
Dani had 7 wins in one season alone in 2012. He has also won Premier class MotoGP races 11 seasons in a row. He’s also had to race his entire premier class career against guys like Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner, and Marquez all considered aliens and Gods on motorcycles. Tough competion to be sure. He’s done quite well, especially since he was considered too small to pilot a MotoGP bike. Sure he’s been on a top tier bike, but other than the 4 aliens mentioned noone else has deserved to take his ride away from him.
Wonder what kind of numbers Mamola and Biaggi would have put up dealing with those 4 guys week in and week out for a decade.
In 2012 Dani had no one to contend with except his own teammate, who was watching from the sidelines for much of the season, and Jorge Lorenzo. Rossi was stuck in Bologna purgatory, and no other bikes had a prayer.
Point being, there was no way Dani could remain upright and not win races that season. There was next-to-no competition, so merely finishing the race practically guaranteed him a podium. In order to win, all he had to do was stay upright and hope that Jorge’s hyper-sensitive menstrual cycle would rear its whiny head that day.
😉
Lol Bologna pergatory was by Rossis choice. He had no less talent, he just couldn’t make the bike work for him. LOrenzo will find out about greener grass next year. Can’t believe guys on top tier equipment risk their reputations switching to second class equipment.
Loved the Lorenzo comment…made me laugh. Poor guy is so insecure.
Pedrosa is one of those up and down kind of riders, but when he’s up, no one is faster. He’s about the size of a can of diet cola and can simply get more out of a motorcycle when he’s in the zone.
Would have liked to have seen how it would’ve turned out had Rossi also chosen the soft front tire. Dani was the only one who chose the soft front, and it was clearly the difference in the race.
Cool to see VR46 beat Lorenzo in a straight fight on the same tires under perfect conditions. Jorge was on pole, he got the hole shot, he had clear track in front of him: the usual recipe for a dominant Lorenzo victory. Not this time. Rossi clearly had his measure. He was faster most of the weekend, and definitely in the race. No excuses this time for Jorge.
Odd, that Marquez’s choice of the hard front tire inexplicably seemed to have doomed him. Rather than coming on strong late, which is the expected result when choosing the hard option, he faded. Conversely, the guy on the soft tire didn’t fade late; he actually gained strength in the final stages of the race.
Anyway, congrats to Dani. He’s been lost in the wilderness for most of the season, but he showed a pulse in practice, and now this glorious victory. At first I thought he might run afoul of Honda by passing Marquez, but he more than made up for it by overtaking Rossi and giving #93 five points right back.
Eight different winners this season and, what, seven different winners in a row?
Remarkable.
I’m thinking Dani might be the only one who could have made the soft front go the distance in that heat and at that speed due to his size. It was a great choice and a great ride……nice to see him win again.
Very possible.
That’s what the MotoGP announcers were saying:
Pedrosa’s small size and body weight won’t work the tires enough to generate the needed heat to get them up to operating temperature, and he actually needed the soft tire AND the hot track temperature to get confidence in the front tire.
I think that after struggling all of this year, being able to ride the bike like he wanted to for a change seemed like a walk in the park.
Also, I got a kick out of the Lorenzo/Rossi exchange after the race.
Glad you pointed out the Rossi/Lorenzo exchange during the post-race press conference. I didn’t bother to watch the press conference this morning, but I just went back and watched it.
Classic.
I’m always struck by the way Lorenzo has this unique ability to sound perfectly reasonable while still coming across as a total whiner. It’s really an awesome thing.
Also, Dani wasn’t running “wings” on his bike so less downforce on the front tyre means less wear.
“Honey, I won’t be needin’ the ol’ blue pill this mornin’! WOOOHOOO!” – mickey
and of course my comment is under moderation. Should change my name to Took lol
Yep, and my second post is also under moderation.
crazy isn’t it? Have either you or I ever said anything moderation worthy in what 5 years? Have we called anyone names? used any foul language? Nope, nope and nope. Just crazy
I don’t think those things have anything to do with it. IIRC, Dirck explained that the moderation thing is entirely random. No one is getting singled out.
As a moderator for several other forums I can tell you there are better ways to moderate than random checks of people who have never stepped out of line. Just drives me nuts.
Reminds me of the TSA pulling grannies and kids out of line for ” random” security checks at the airport
lol
btw my rare (and pircless) comments go thru substantial moderation phases too
thass pricelss
Maybe they should go through spell-check, too…
actually, im an ex top world level lit prof (took thorntorn aka andrea gaudiano) proofreader 1983 excellence in writing award published author language theory expert who was –back in the day, 1994– offered 1 grand to talk for an hour yada yada yada tv press and everything invited with umberto eco etc and i can chew the chicago manual of style and have taught grammar to grammar teachers, but lo and behold, after i quit that all in 95, wen randy mamola knew luca cadalora that way and shinya nakano was a pup, life led to me a path that eventually brought me to direct a “reading initiative program” for youth at risk. the gangbange teenagers and all greeted me with “whatup dawg”. dey tot me good. talk wryt n spell however the f i lyk now, ho broz. and i still think if you google “kinkiki valentino challenge at daytona” the question, would it have been crowdunded ryt, woulda settled once and for all what woulda hapened if kurtis roberts, nicky hayden, miguel mladin ; ) et al woulda met ON EQUAL bikes on da BANKS OF DAYTONA.
GIACOMO AGOSTINI WON AT DAYTONA. VALENTINO ON EQUAL BIKES AGAINST THE BEST OF THE AMA BACK WEN MLADIN AND THE FOX AND THE HAYDENS AND THE BOSTROMS WHERE AROUND? NOT SO SURE.
BATH SALTS
Been waiting all year for Dani to show up at a race. Today he showed how well he can ride. Lorenzo gets the hole shot and tries to disappear but Rossi catches him and passes. Then up comes Marquez to 3rd. Vinales 4th and Dovisioso 5th. Dani got a good start as well and had moved up to 6th from his 8th place qualifying spot. That’s where I expected him to stay after his performances earlier this year, but something got into him. He passed Dovi, then Vinales. Ok so he will finish 4th. Nope not done yet, passes Marquez..whoa. Then tracks down Lorenzo and passes him …good night he’s going to get second. Then he tracks down and passes leader Rossi in front of Rossi’s home crowd and stretches the lead to over a second for the WIN! woo hoo. Way to go Dani. About time!