Moto GP: Jorge Lorenzo takes dominating victory at Catalunya

from Twowheelsblog

Reigning World champion Jorge Lorenzo took another stunning victory - his second in a row - and his third of the season with a dominating lights-to-flag win over Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez.

Despite his stunning and record breaking qualifying lap (the race was much slower than expected due to the heat), Dani Pedrosa lost the pole position just a few yards before the end of the straight to Lorenzo who would lead the entire 25 lapper despite being pressured by the Repsol Honda riders for two third of the race.

Marc Marquez stuck to the tail of Pedrosa and in the penultimate lap tried to overtake his team mate to take second, but Pedrosa chopped back across the nose of Marquez, forcing the rookie to hit the brakes and giving his Honda a big front end shake. The slight scare didn’t stop Marquez who tried to latch onto his team mate’s rear again, but couldn’t get close enought to line up another pass and would finish just 0.090s from Pedrosa.

Valentino Rossi finished a lucky and also a very lonely fourth. Rossi was graced with spot when Cal Crutchlow crashed out losing the front of his M1 during the fifth lap, and he was lucky because Alvaro Bautista almost repeated the same pass that took himself and Rossi out of the Mugello race. Rossi resisted Bautista’s inside pass at the Caixa and the Spaniard was forced to grab his brakes sliding out and barely missing the Yamaha rider’s rear tire.

Stefan Bradl finished fifth after battling with Nicky Hayden who without any warning lost the front of his Ducati, sending the American angrily tumbling into the gravel pit. Hayden, Crutchlow and Bautista weren’t the only riders to crash as only 16 riders finished the physically punishing and incident packed race.

Bradley Smith despite his injuries took an excellent 6th which is his best result of the season and beating Andrea Dovizioso, while Aleix Espargaro and Colin Edwards and Ducati’s Michele Pirro closed out the top ten.

2013 MotoGP Catalunya race results:

01- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – 25 laps in 43’06.479
02- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 1.763
03- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 1.826
04- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 5.874
05- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 26.756
06- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 32.228
07- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 32.692
08- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 58.615
09- Colin Edwards – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – FTR Kawasaki – + 1’03.142
10- Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1’09.774