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MotoGP’s race was just as wild and crazy as the Moto2 race as the riders took to track under the rain and a fully wet track in what became a rain shortened, high attrition race and despite the overwhelming conditions Dani Pedrosa took a commanding victory , his fifth of the season and his first every victory in the rain and more importantly pulling back another five points from Jorge Lorenzo who finished second with Casey Stoner returning to the podium by taking third.
Lorenzo was in pole and immediately took off, seemingly not caring about the wet track with Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, Sfegan Bradl, Valentino Rossi and Hector Barbera following as Andrea Dovizioso and team mate Cal Crutchlow both had bad starts as their Yamaha’s fishtailed on the wet.
Lorenzo (on a soft rain tire) began to break away while the only rider who seemed able to stay with him was Pedrosa (on the harder rear), while Stoner in third found his hands full with an agressive Bradl leading a bevy of riders. At the end of the first lap their was more than six tenths of a second between the two front runners as they distanced themselves from the rest of the field.
Over the following laps would Pedrosa would play elastic getting close to the Yamaha rider as the track conditions seemed to improve as two began lowering their lap times - Stoner was third but already six seconds behind - and on the ninth lap Pedrosa would would outbrake Lorenzo at turn 15 and race away leaving the struggling Yamaha rider who began having tire trouble
In the meantime Ben Spies was the first rider to crash out during the eighth lap, suffering a heavy highside that left him lying in the gravel pit holding his right hand. The Yamaha rider was later taken to the medical center for a suspected shoulder injury. Just a lap later Andrea Dovizioso would crash out of fourth chasing Casey Stoner (he was able to rejoin and finish 13th and last). Stefan Bradl would suffer the same fate as did Cal Crutchlow, Randy de Puniet and Ivan Silva.
As the race proceeded the rain began to fall heavily as Pedrosa was leading with a big margin as Stoner began was starting close in on Lorenzo, but the Yamaha rider signalled twice with a raised hand that the race couldn’t continue while almost losing the front in the last corner as the decision to red flag the race was made.
With the race halted everyone returned to their garages, unsure if the race would be re-started, but the rain become even more torrential almost darkening the skies and flooding the entire circuit, and with impending dusk and the continuing rain, the Race Direction decided to call it a day with results declared at the end of lap 13, Pedrosa first, Lorenzo second and Stoner in third.
Ducati riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi were fourth and fifth respectively. Rossi who came from 11th on the grid was fifth at the end of the first lap and battling with Bradl and trying to catch Dovizioso, but a big moment halfway through made him lose 5 seconds and drop him to 9th, but with such a high attrition and passing Alvaro Bautista on the final lap graced him with 5th. Hector Barbera was seventh followed by Aleix Espargaro, James Ellison and Karel Abraham completed the top ten.
Roberto Rolfo also crashed before the red flag and was disqualified from an eventual re-start for not returning to the pits within the five minute mark.
MotoGP Sepang Race Results:
01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 13 laps in 29’29.049
02- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 3.774
03- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 7.144
04- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 10.518
05- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 16.759
06- Alvaro Bautista – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 17.276
07- Hector Barbera – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 50.282
08- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 51.858
09- James Ellison – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP12 – + 56.676
10- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 57.622
11- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 1’02.805
12- Michele Pirro – San Carlo Honda Gresini – FTR Honda MGP12 – + 1’02.891
13- Andrea Dovizioso – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1’28.989
01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 13 laps in 29’29.049
02- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 3.774
03- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 7.144
04- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 10.518
05- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 16.759
06- Alvaro Bautista – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 17.276
07- Hector Barbera – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 50.282
08- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 51.858
09- James Ellison – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP12 – + 56.676
10- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 57.622
11- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 1’02.805
12- Michele Pirro – San Carlo Honda Gresini – FTR Honda MGP12 – + 1’02.891
13- Andrea Dovizioso – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1’28.989
Dani Pedrosa (Honda HRC) enlève sa troisième victoire consécutive de la saison en s’imposant sur le circuit de Sepang en Malaisie à l’issue d’une course interrompue lors du 13ème tour suite à de mauvaises conditions météorologiques. Il devance Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) et son coéquipier Casey Stoner.
Les pilotes de la catégorie MotoGP se sont élancés sur une piste détrempée. Qualifié en pole position, Lorenzo conserve l’avantage au départ devant Pedrosa alors qu’Andrea Dovizioso (Yamaha Tech 3), troisième sur la grille, se retrouve dans les dernières places. Casey Stoner en profite alors pour se hisser à la troisième position devant Valentino Rossi (Ducati) gagnant cinq places dans le premier tour.
Dovizioso s’empare de la quatrième position aux dépends du « Doctor » lors du second tour avant de chuter à 11 tours de l’arrivée. Dans le même temps, Pedrosa, revenu dans la roue de Lorenzo, s’empare de la tête alors que la pluie redouble à Sepang. Deux tours plus tard, de nombreux pilotes se font piéger sur une piste gorgée d’eau dont notamment Crutchow (Yamaha Tech 3), Randy De Puniet (Power Electronics Aspar) et Stefan Bradl (Honda LCR).
Jorge Lorenzo, passé tout près de la correctionnelle à sept tours du drapeau à damier, alerte la direction de course qui déploie le drapeau rouge.
Les conditions se dégradant, la course est stoppée définitivement. Les positions du 13ème tour sont retenues pour le classement. Pedrosa s’impose devant Lorenzo et Stoner. Les deux pilotes Ducati, Hayden et Rossi, complètent le Top 5. Seuls 13 pilotes sont classés.
Grâce à sa nouvelle victoire, Dani Pedrosa (307 points) reprend cinq points à Lorenzo, toujours leader avec une avance 23 points à deux manches de la fin de la saison. En terminant troisième et bénéficiant la 13ème place de Dovizioso, Casey Stoner conforte sa troisième place au général avec 213 points contre 195 pour Dovizioso.
