Jorge Lorenzo took his third consecutive win at Estoril, and annihilated soon-to-be leaving Fiat Yamaha team mate Valentino Rossi, rocketing to his first victory since Brno, with a massive 8.
629s lead.
The first few laps were closely fought with Lorenzo taking taking the lead and then relinquishing first to Nicky Hayden and then to Valentino Rossi, who started to break away, putting a 1.
8 second lead between himself and Lorenzo and the rest of the field, but Lorenzo starting reeling the Italian in and with three laps and a stupendous 1’38″124, that was unmatchable, overtook the lead on lap 17, and from there never looked back, leaving Rossi a very lonely second.
Casey Stoner after battling from seventh to third and was catching up on Rossi and Lorenzo crashed out on lap five, making it his fifth crash this year.
The battle for third was between two Italians, Marco Simoncelli and Andrea Dovizioso with the two Honda riders exchanging positions for a better part of the final laps, but it was Dovizioso who took the third spot by drafting Simoncelli on the straight and making it across the line by just 0.
059s.
Nicky Hayden took fifth,with Randy de Puniet in sixth after running wide in several times, while Colin Edwards came home seventh after Yamaha Tech3 lost Ben Spies even before the start of the race.
The American crashed out in a high side heading to the grid and was carried from the track on a stretcher.
The Clinica Mobile would later report that Spies dislocating his left ankle, the same that he hurt at Le Mans, that could place him in doubt for the upcoming season finale at Valencia.
Dani Pedrosa recovering from his collarbone injury got as high up as sixth, from 12th on the grid, before he lost his strength and faded to back to eighth.
Marco Melandri was ninth while Hector Barbera took tenth fighting off Alvaro Bautista.
Hiroshi Aoyama was 12th and Loris Capirossi battling his broken foot bones was 13th and last.
Carlos Checa in his return to MotoGP had to retire from the race with arm pump problems and not having enough time on the Desmosedici on the dry, while team mate Aleix Espargaro crashed out on the first lap, limping away from his Pramac Ducati.
MotoGP Estoril Race Results:01- Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 28 laps in 46’17.
96202- Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 8.
62903- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 26.
47504- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 26.
53405- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 27.
15406- Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 28.
29707- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 30.
10908- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 44.
94709- Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1’13.
64910- Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1’17.
72111- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1’17.
90812- Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1’33.
02513- Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1’39.
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