Casey Stoner increased his MotoGP championship lead to 44 points with his eighth win of the season at Aragon in Spain on Sunday. Once again the pole sitter, Stoner was third behind Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha’s Ben Spies at turn one, but took back the lead by the end of the first lap and rode steadily away over the next 22 laps to a convincing 8.162 second victory. Stoner’s Spanish backed team commissioned local designer David Delfi to create a special livery for the race and the win at Aragon was the 100th victory for Repsol Honda in the premier-class.
Dani Pedrosa rode to a lonely second place finish — putting him now just 14 points out of third place overall — while defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, Stoner’s closest rival, took the final podium spot after passing his team-mate Spies with ten laps remaining. Spies then fell back even further, losing the battle for fourth to San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli.
Valentino Rossi made his competition debut on a new aluminium-framed Ducati machine at Aragon, but had to start from pit lane, 10 seconds after the rest of the field. His bike’s new design necessitated a fresh motor (different engine mounts in the aluminium monocoque version) putting him over the six engine per season limit and therefore into a penalty start. The seven-time premier-class champion managed a tenth place finish, while Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden placed seventh aboard his carbon fibre-framed mount.
The next race will be at Motegi (Japan) on October 2nd.
2011 Aragon MotoGP Race Results
1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda 42m 17.427s
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda +8.162
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing +14.209
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini +20.646
5. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing +27.739
6. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki +30.373
7. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro +34.288
8. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar +37.305
9. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +39.652
10. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro 42m +39.832
11. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini +39.997
12. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing 43m +54.717
13. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +58.430
DNF
Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing
Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda
Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda
Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing
2011 MotoGP Championship Standings
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 284
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 240
3 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 185
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 170
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 146
6 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 139
7 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 114
8 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 106
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 90
10 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 87
11 Héctor Barberá Mapfre Aspar Team 77
12 Álvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 67
13 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 52
14 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 50
15 Toni Elías LCR Honda MotoGP 47
16 Randy de Puniet Pramac Racing Team 33
17 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 29
18 John Hopkins Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 6
19 Kousuke Akiyoshi San Carlo Honda Gresini 3
