Drought Over

Repsol Honda pilot Dani Pedrosa revisited the top step of the podium for the first time in over a year at the Red Bull US Grand Prix in Laguna Seca. An action packed Laguna Seca grand prix saw just 12 riders finish a race of attrition, with six crashing out and James Toseland copping a disqualification. But it was the diminutive Spaniard who stood firm. Pedrosa holding off a last lap attack from Rossi to win after riding to the front off the line and dominating all race.  

Starting from pole with a separated collarbone was too much for Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard dropping to eighth before turn one as Pedrosa and Stoner led the way from Valentino Rossi.

Rossi, clearly on a mission rounded up Stoner for second on the way into the famous corkscrew and set off after Pedrosa but in shades of 2008 Rossi lost the spot to Stoner again just one lap later, and the battle between the two saw Pedrosa take a small advantage into lap three.

At the end of three short laps Pedrosa led Stoner, from Rossi, Dovizioso and Lorenzo, the top five separated by less than 1.5 seconds.

Lap four saw the first crash of the race, Galbor Talmasci crashing out of his second MotoGP on the Team Scot Honda.

Settling back into a rhythm after yet another horror start, the injured Lorenzo closed on the front runners as Loris Capirossi crashed out of the race on lap five.

In a race that was rapidly turning into one of attrition, Andrea Dovizioso was the first of the front runners to falter, his crash on lap seven came at turn five, the Repsol Honda tucking the front and sliding out on the left hander while Sete Gibernau was the fourth rider out on the final corner of the lap.

James Toseland received a pit lane penalty for jumping the start, but either didn’t see his pit board or didn’t care, and was disqualified from the race for ignoring the penalty, leaving just 12 riders in the race.

Meanwhile Dani Pedrosa skipped out by two seconds over Stoner and Rossi, forcing Rossi’s hand. Rossi managed to retake Stoner for second on lap 12 but Pedrosa was still almost half a second faster than the rest of the pack and pulling away.

The injured and ever tenacious Lorenzo clawed his way into third on lap 21 as Stoner’s recurring mystery illness saw his slide slowly backwards to fourth. Stoner’s Ducati teammate Hayden, lurked in fifth at his home grand prix but the 10 second gap between the two was already insurmountable for the American.

Lorenzo steadily closed on Rossi by two-tenths a lap and the battle for second ignited as Pedrosa stabilised his lead over the duo.

With the injured Lorenzo monstering the back of his teammate, it was a wild dive down the inside of the final turn that seemingly undid the Spaniard’s hopes to peg back points on championship leader Rossi. Lorenzo’s bike picked up the rear tyre deep under brakes, bucked and almost threw its pilot in a harrowing moment that showed just how disadvantaged the #99 rider was by his injured collarbone.  

The moment seemed to trigger something in Rossi, who used his new found freedom from Lorenzo to push for the lead, with around a second gap to Pedrosa heading into the final lap Pedrosa could be forgiven for feeling safe but Rossi closed enough to have a lunge into the final turn.

The dramatic last lap had the Honda camp pulling their hear out but Pedrosa did enough to win Honda’s first race since Catalunya in 2008 from Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner and Nicky Hayden in fifth, his best result on a Ducati in a race only 12 riders made the finish.

Today’s second place leaves Rossi still leading the championship by nine points from Lorenzo, 16 from Stoner and 59 points from Dani Pedrosa heading into the next round in Germany.

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