MotoGP: Portuguese Hat-trick for Lorenzo

2010 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo won his eighth race of the season on Sunday to take his third consecutive Portuguese MotoGP victory. 

The Spaniard who, after rain soaked sessions on Friday and Saturday, started from the pole today at Estoril under suddenly dry conditions, took the lead from Valentino Rossi on lap 14 and went on to finish the season’s penultimate race 8.629 seconds ahead of his Fiat Yamaha team-mate. Behind them Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso won a hard fought battle for third with rookie Marco Simoncelli at the finish line, edging out the San Carlo Gresini Honda rider for the final podium spot by just 0.059s. 

The lack of any dry track practice and setup time, after a 2 days of wet condtions, was particularly disastrous for two race favourites. MotoGP Rookie of the Year, Ben Spies had a nasty highside on turn 4 during the sighting lap. The Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider was taken off the track on a stretcher with a dislocated left ankle and did not start the race. His participation in the final round in Valencia next week is now questionable. Ducati’s Casey Stoner, who hoped to continue his recent return to form,  lost his back end on lap 5 while running third. The Australian’s fifth crash of the season ended any hope of him capturing the 2010 runner-up title.  After his second place finish today at Estoril, and with only one race left, Valentino Rossi is now the only rider who can take second overall away from Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa; Rossi has 217 points, Pedrosa has 236. The Spaniard finished eighth today in his first race back since breaking his collarbone in a practice session crash at Motegi four weeks ago.