Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa won two MotoGP races in a row for the first time in his career, and a career best fourth in one season, with a runaway win over Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo in the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano. Hometown hero Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) was a popular third.
Technomag-CIP Moto2 rider...
Technomag-CIP Moto2 rider Shoya Tomizawa was the winner of the inaugural Moto2 race in Qatar earlier this year. The popular Japanese rider died from injuries sustained in a crash during the Misano race.
But for the second week in succession, the race was marred by the death of a young rider. One week after 13-year-old Peter Lenz was killed on the warm-up lap of the Moriwaki MD250H race in Indianapolis, popular Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa, 19, the winner of the first ever Moto2 race in Qatar, succumbed to injuries suffered in the Moto2 race prior to the MotoGP final.
Tomizawa was engaged in the battle for the lead on the 12th lap when he fell from his Technomag-CIP Suter. Alex de Angelis and Scott Redding were directly behind and had nowhere to go; both hit Tomizawa, who was thrown about 40 yards by the impact with both bikes. Tomizawa was transported to a local hospital where he passed away during the MotoGP race.
The MotoGP podium finishers were told of the passing by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta immediately after the race. The podium celebration was muted, with no popping of champagne.
“Today was very good,” Pedrosa said. “We did a good weekend overall. So was unbelievable to be out there at the front, riding well all the race.
“But for the other part, I think everybody today is sad and we feel all a big hole here and we are all empty, because it’s two riders in one week, so it’s not so good feeling. For my part I want to, you know, give thanks and I hope we don’t have any more for the rest of our lives and we can still enjoy this sport and keep on going.”
Lorenzo said that he had made a “good race. I went fast and I finished second. Is a very good result.
“But as Dani said, apart from that, today is a very sad day because we lost a very strong rider, very good person and I don’t know, I can’t say anything more.”
And Rossi was happy to be on the podium for the first race since the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, but sad at Tomizawa’s passing.
“Yes, the podium is a great achievement for me, for my team, not just for the position, but also for the way that I ride,” he said. “I come back with fast laps at the end and I feel confident with the bike. So I’m very happy also for go on the podium in front of all the crowd here in Misano.
“But, you know, what happens, these things, all the rest become nothing and Shoya was a very funny guy. Strong rider. So I think everybody are very, very sorry. The crash was incredible. So, nothing to say.”
One week on from his victory in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, Pedrosa shot away from the pole position with little opposition. The Spaniard was never challenged as he built a lead up to nearly six seconds before he slowed at the finish to win by 1.9 seconds.
Pedrosa took another five points from the championship lead of Lorenzo, who finished second at Misano for the third race in a row. After 12 of 18 races, Lorenzo leads Pedrosa by 63 points, 271 to 208.
Rossi was mobbed by fans on the track and had to battle to get back to the parc ferme. Rossi had fought with Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso before pulling away at the end of the race with a series of fast laps. Dovi finished fourth.
Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner was part of the battle for the final podium spot before dropping to finish alone in fifth. He was passed by Rossi for third on the 11th lap and dropped to fifth by Dovi a lap later. Stoner had said earlier in the weekend that he didn’t expect to win a race this year. The Ducati had been a strong bike early in the season, but hadn’t improved, while the other machines had. His best chances had come at Qatar and Le Mans early in the season, but he’d crashed out of both.
Teammate Nicky Hayden crashed out of Misano, continuing a string of miserable luck. He and Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, who was starting his 200th premier class grand prix, came together in turn two with both going down.
“Yeah really, this place has not been kind to me,” Hayden said. “I’m not sure really what happened. It just seemed like a first corner incident.” Hayden said he came out of the second turn ready to go and Capirossi was in his way. “It’s been a tough day for everyone.” It was the third year in a row that Hayden hadn’t finished a lap in Misano. The 2006 World Champion sat out the 2008 race with a heel injury suffered in the X-Games. In 2009 he was scuttled by Alex de Angelis. Capirossi needed medical attention to the little finger on his left hand, but was otherwise unhurt.
MotoGP rider moves
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Ben Spies got the best of teammate Colin Edwards in the fight for sixth. Tech 3 team owner Herve Poncharal said there was a 70% chance Edwards would stay with the team in 2011 to team with Cal Crutchlow, the Yamaha World Superbike rider who’s signing is imminent.
Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista got away from a five-rider battle to claim a solitary eighth. Hector Barbera finished ninth on the Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati on the same weekend it was announced that he’d continue with the team for 2011.
Leaving the MotoGP paddock is tenth place finisher Marco Melandri. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider was announced as one of the riders on Yamaha’s World Superbike team for 2011. His place may be taken by Dovizioso, who is without a contract at the moment.
Pedrosa was off like a shot from the pole, Stoner and Lorenzo going with him, then Rossi and Edwards early on. Hayden was out within a few corners. Transitioning from the right to the left, Hayden collided with Loris Capirossi, with both going down. Hayden re-started, but rode back to the pits.
Pedrosa clicked off one fast race lap after another through the seventh, when Lorenzo had his personal best. By then he was 3.13 seconds behind. Stoner was another second back and Rossi and Dovizioso were close enough to attack. Edwards was already seven seconds behind Pedrosa as Spies made up for a slow start and began closing in on his teammate.
Rossi made the move up the inside in the turn 13 right, ran wide in the left 14, then had the inside line into the next right, turn 15. Now the hometown hero was into a podium position, but there were still 18 laps to go.
On the 12th lap Spies was past Edwards, the pair well clear of eighth placed de Puniet, but also nearly 11 seconds down on Stoner in fifth. Spies set a personal best time on his first lap clear of Edwards.
The battle for third became a two-rider affair in the second half. Rossi was holding Dovizioso at bay while Stoner fell off the pace.
Spies and Stoner were together and leaving the fight for eighth, a five-rider string led by Melandri and de Puniet, from Barbera, Bautista, and Espargaro. A few laps on Barbera ran de Puniet off the track, with Bautista up into ninth and Barbera tenth.
With less than ten laps to go Dovizioso got his second wind. The Italian was chasing Rossi and trying to put the second Repsol Honda on the podium. Just as quickly Rossi’s sense of urgency kicked in and he eked out a few more tenths. He ran his personal best lap on the 24th, the same lap Dovi rode his fastest lap.
On the 26th Rossi broke Dovizioso by lowering his own personal best lap time to 1:34.461 and securing his first podium in over a month.
2010 MotoGP Misano Italy race results:
1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda
2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha
3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha
4. Andrea Dovisioso (ITA) Honda
5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati
6. Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha
8. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Suzuki
9. Hector Barbera (SPA) Ducati
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda
DNF: Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati