Repsol Honda trio happy with top four places

Sunday, 1 May 2011

It was a successful weekend for Repsol Honda at the bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal, with Dani Pedrosa taking victory and Casey Stoner joining him on the rostrum in third. Andrea Dovizioso pipped Valentino Rossi on the last lap to claim fourth place.

Pedrosa enjoyed a race long battle with his old sparring partner, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) and after tailing the Current MotoGP World Champion from the start, the Repsol Honda rider produced a pass on the start/finish line, with four laps remaining, to seal 25 points. This was Pedrosa’s 13th career victory, on a circuit he had previously never managed the top step at, in any class of GP racing. The Spaniard was pleased with his physical condition on the bike following his recent surgery.
Stoner didn’t enjoy the best of start’s to his Estoril race after having a small highside and losing time due to Marco Simoncelli’s (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) accident. The Australian then suffered from a twinge in his back which affected his movement for a small portion of the race, so the former World Champion was relieved to be able to finish the race, especially in a rostrum position.
Dovizioso spent his race glued to the back of Valentino Rossi’s (Ducati Team) bike. After gaining the tow on the final exit, Dovizioso achieved fourth place by snatching the position on the line, as they passed the chequered flag.
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda

"I'm very happy for today's win, but more than the win, I'm happy for my condition and it seems that my surgery was finally successful. I was trying to rest my arm at times as it was cramping with 15 laps to go. I was riding behind Lorenzo and waiting for the numbness to come together with the loss of power, but it didn't come! I'm just so happy to see that the surgery has worked, it's been around six months with this and it's a big relief. For the race, I was riding at my best, Lorenzo is amazing here, always riding so smooth and fast and I was trying to stay with him. In the end, I felt comfortable and tried to make a move and I was successful. I'm very happy to win here, it's my first win on this track and thanks to all the doctors, my physio and trainer because it's been hard work and finally we got a win.”

Pedrosa powers to first victory of the season in Estoril

Sunday, 1 May 2011

After a race long duel with fellow Spaniard, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) raced to victory at the bwin Grande Prémio de Portugal and with it, claimed his first win at the Estoril circuit in any class. Third was Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda).

Estoril 2011 - MotoGP - Race - Full session

Pedrosa who only recently had surgery on his injured shoulder, had been seemingly pacing himself behind the leader, Lorenzo, until the final three laps, when the Repsol Honda rider, passed the Yamaha down the straight and then delivered a succession of fastest laps to pass the chequered flag first. Pedrosa finished just over three seconds ahead of the reigning MotoGP World Champion and closed the gap on Lorenzo’s lead in the standings to just four points. Pedrosa’s triumph also prevented the pole sitter clinching four successive victories at the Estoril circuit.
  Stoner had a lonely race in third and was over seven seconds behind his team mate who won the race. The former MotoGP World Champion has never won at Estoril (one of only five circuits the Australian has failed to clinch victory at). The eyes were all on the battle behind the Australian between Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) and Andrea Dovizioso. The Repsol Honda rider stayed close to Rossi throughout the race and managed to snatch the fourth place on the very last lap as they crossed the start finish line, by a mere 0.025s. The nine time World Champion’ previous lowest result here in Estoril had been a fourth place from 11 starts, before the pass from his fellow compatriot over the line.
  It was a good day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team. Colin Edwards arrived home in sixth position, two ahead of Cal Crutchlow. The British rookie had been involved in a tussle with Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini), but the Japanese rider got the better of the former World Supersport champion. Crutchlow was one of many riders racing following an operation and has continued to pick up points in his first season in the premier class.
  Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) was ninth, after racing with Ben Spies early on and the final place in the top ten went to Frenchman Randy de Puniet (Pramac Racing) who was recovering after an operation on his leg. Toni Elías (LCR Honda) who won here in 2006, was 11th after fighting with Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing) and edging out the most experienced rider in the field, come the end of the race.
  In the first race of the season for Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki), after missing the opening two rounds, the Spaniard battled through the pain barrier to record 13th place and claim three points, just six weeks after breaking his leg.