Shanghai: The Doctor Will See You Now
Rossi ended the longest top step drought since he started his premier class career with a masterful ride in the China MotoGP race at Shanghai. In potentially changeable conditions the ex-champ showed that he still had it in him to dominate and his only challenger was that Spaniard, Pedrosa.
The weekend had an exciting start for the factory Yamaha team when Lorenzo became a ballastic projectile. He lost rear-end grip, slid then in that most dangerous of occasions it bit again and he high-sided. When you see accidents like this the only impression is that it’s going to hurt - and it did. He was whisked off to hospital to find he’s chipped/broke some more bones. With all that in mind he put in a valiant effort to qualify fourth – his worst performance of the season!
Edwards had put his second string Yamaha on pole with a committed display, asking the question again of if he can convert it to a win. Rossi wasn’t far behind him and finally a performing Stoner rounded off the top three. Toseland was at his usual place of late in 7th.
Edwards got a good start to the race but Stoner slipped by into the first corner to take the lead, but it was very short lived as Edwards took it back immediately. The usual hustle-and-bustle was occurring in the pack. Everyone had decent starts apart from Toseland who for some reason went backwards and slipped to 9th.
Rossi then Pedrosa got passed Edwards who just didn’t seem capable of staying with these too. Soon Rossi and Pedrosa had carved a significant lead with the little Spaniard keeping Rossi extremely honest – maybe the Italian Revenue Service need to employ him too!
Milandri seemed to be much happier with his Ducati and was mixing it around 6th and entertaining those behind him with showers of sparks from knee-sliders. Dovisioso too was mixing it up in that middle pack.
Stoner eventually got passed Edwards and placed himself in a solid 3rd. Curiously the Ducati wasn’t dominating on a track where it slaughtered the opposition last year. Clearly everyone has caught up, or the Duc’s have somehow not moved forward as much as they expected.
The race then settled down into a holding pattern with only a couple of minor battles. Edwards managed to out-brake himself which pushed him back. Toseland slipped further and further back and West, on the Kawasaki, managed to imitate Edwards.
In the latter third of the race either Lorenzo’s painkillers kicked in or the pain had become so bad that he became immune to it because he put in a charge which pushed him forwards to fourth position. By this time Pedrosa had backed off and Rossi secured his first win since the middle of last year.
Pedrosa moves forward in the championship with Lorenzo performing some good damage limitation. Rossi ignites his championship chances with a win showing there’s life in the old dog yet.
It’s an open season.
- V. ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 44′08.061
- D. PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team + 3.890
- C. STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team + 15.928
- J. LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team + 22.494
- M. MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team + 26.957
- N. HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team + 28.369
- C. EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha + 29.780
- T. ELIAS SPA Alice Team + 30.225
- L. CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 31.440
- S. NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini + 35.969
- A. DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 36.246
- J. TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha + 43.191
- R. DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP + 43.442
- J. HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team + 45.855
- S. GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team + 46.330
- A. DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini + 50.593
- A. WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team + 1′05.593
* picture source: MCN.
