FIM MotoGP World Championship Estoril, Portugal May 1 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Hon RC212V), 28 laps, 45:51.483, 95.198 mph 2. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Yam YZR-M1), -3.051 seconds 3. Casey Stoner, Australia (Hon RC212V), -7.658 4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Hon RC212V), -16.530 5. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Duc GP11), -16.555 6. Colin Edwards, USA (Yam YZR-M1), -32.575 7. Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan (Hon RC212V), -38.749 8. Cal Crutchlow, Great Britain (Yam YZR-M1), -40.912 9. Nicky Hayden, USA (Duc GP11), -54.887 10. Randy De Puniet, France (Duc GP11), -59.697 11. Toni Elias, Spain (Hon RC212V), -60.374 12. Loris Capirossi, Italy (Duc GP11), -61.793 13. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Suz GSV-R), -84.370 14. Ben Spies, USA (Yam YZR-M1), -16 laps, DNF, crash 15. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Duc GP11), -27 laps, DNF, crash 16. Marco Simoncelli, Italy (Hon RC212V), -28 laps, DNF, crash 17. Hector Barbera, Spain (Duc GP11), -28 laps, DNF, crash Race Distance, 28 laps, 72.760 miles Race Time, 45 minutes, 51.483 seconds Race Average Speed, 95.198 mph Victory Margin, 3.051 seconds Fastest Lap, Pedrosa, 1:37.629, 95.820 mph, Lap 27 MOTO GP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 18 races): 1. Lorenzo, 65 points 2. Pedrosa, 61 points 3. Stoner, 41 points 4. Rossi, 31 points 5. TIE, Hayden/Dovizioso, 30 points 7. Aoyama, 28 points 8. Crutchlow, 21 points 9. Edwards, 18 points 10. Barbera, 14 points 11. TIE, Abraham/Elias, 12 points 13. Simoncelli, 11 points 14. Spies, 10 points 15. Capirossi, 9 points 16. TIE, De Puniet/John Hopkins, 6 points 18. Bautista, 3 points More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Álvaro Bautista gave another courageous performance on his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R at Estoril today to not only finish the Portuguese Grand Prix, but to also score points and show that he had come to race and not just finish the 28-laps. Bautista got a great start from 15th on the grid and by the end of the first lap had moved into 12th place, but he was forced to take avoiding action on the second lap as another rider fell in front of him. Karel Abraham crashed his Ducati and although Bautista tried to take a different line to miss him, the Suzuki star was forced out wide and into the gravel. Bautista stayed on-board and re-joined the race, but had lost valuable time and was too far behind the pack to continue his assault. As the race wore on Bautista produced consistent laps that would have seen him compete in the top-10, but because of the earlier incident he was forced to ride a lonely race with only the clock to compete against and his determination to finish the race. He eventually crossed the line in 13th place and, although he was suffering from the injury he sustained at Qatar, he was very pleased to finish his first Grand Prix of 2011. Overnight rain again made this morning’s warm-up quite difficult, but fortunately the storm clouds stayed away from the race and conditions improved in time for the start. Today’s event was watched by just over 40,000 people at trackside and they saw Spaniard Dani Pedrosa on a Honda take his first victory of the season, with current championship leader Jorge Lorenzo second. Rizla Suzuki and Bautista will now stay at Estoril for a day of testing, where they will be joined by Factory test rider Nobuatsu Aoki. The team will next be in race action at the historical Le Mans circuit in France on Sunday 15th May, where Bautista will certainly be looking to improve on this weekend’s performance as his healing process continues and his race fitness returns. Álvaro Bautista: “I have some mixed emotions today. I am happy because I made the target of finishing the race, but after a decent start and getting in to a good position early on, I am really disappointed that I had to run off the track because Abraham crashed in front of me. I tried to take a different line, but I had to go into the gravel and I lost too much time from the main group. I did the rest of the race alone and ok, we finished, but I would have liked to have battled with other riders. I think it was possible to fight with Toni, Loris and Randy today – or maybe even better! The first target was to finish the race, so we have to be happy about that and now I have 14 days to improve the strength and power in my leg and go to Le Mans in a much better condition than I came here. My body and my mind are now more prepared for racing, so I am really looking forward to the next race. “I want to say a big thank-you to all the team and to everyone that supported me during the last month. If I can make this effort to be here and finish this race, part of what I did was because all of them believed in me all the time. I also want to say a very Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mums in Spain, especially my own!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Today is the same very positive story as the rest of the weekend. For Álvaro to complete race distance and at a far more competitive pace than we could have expected when we were in the hospital in Qatar six weeks ago, is just incredible! The race itself turned into a fitness test after he ran off the track because of Abraham’s crash, but finally we also got a bit of luck as Álvaro was able to avoid all the carnage around him in the first lap as several other riders crashed. “On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to thank everybody involved in Álvaro’s recovery, both in Qatar and Spain. But the main plaudits have to go to Álvaro himself his commitment to get back as quickly as he has done has been inspirational. Le Mans is the next step and when we arrive in Catalunya we will be pushing to the maximum again!” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Pedrosa claims first win of season with faultless run in Portugal Round 3: Portuguese GP Race Estoril Circuit, Sunday 1 May 2011 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear (asymmetric): Medium, Hard Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa took victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix today with a dominant performance that saw him take the lead on lap 25 and never look back. The Spaniard tailed fellow countryman Jorge Lorenzo for much of the race before making his move four laps from the end. Teammate Casey Stoner finished third, also matching the pace of the lead duo for much of the race, whilst Andrea Dovizioso beat Valentino Rossi to fourth in a drag to the line, pipping Rossi by just 0.025seconds to make three Hondas in the top four. The top eight riders all used the harder option front slick, with Nicky Hayden in ninth being the highest placed rider to opt for the softer front. Every rider used the softer rear asymmetric slick which proved very consistent over race distance despite a track temperature of 36 degrees Celsius. In particular, the Honda RC212V machines of the Repsol Honda Team all used their tyres very well today as Pedrosa was able to set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, and Dovizioso set his best time on the final lap as he dragged past Rossi. The race also claimed some unfortunate casualties in the form of Marco Simoncelli and Hector Barbera both of whom crashed on the opening lap, Karel Abraham who fell on lap two and Ben Spies on lap 13. Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Jorge has a great record at Estoril and again rode very strongly today, but ultimately Dani just had a little bit more in the closing stages of the race as he found some more time to set two consecutive fastest race laps to seal his victory. I’d like to congratulate Dani for his first victory of 2011 and also the Repsol Honda Team for putting their three bikes in the top four here. We’ve now had three different winners from the first three races this season which is good for the sport and a good indication of how close the field is this season.” Tohru Ubukata General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “I am pleased that in the race we could see four riders using the softer option front tyre which means that clearly both compound choices were well suited to the conditions. I am also satisfied with the durability and consistency of the softer rear tyre that all riders used, even though the track temperature reached 36 degrees. The track conditions today were again not ideal which is why the laptimes were a little slower. More overnight rain meant that the track was dirty again this morning, and it has not had a proper chance to clean all weekend so was still a little greasy or ‘green’.” Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Race Winner “I am very happy for the win, especially as I didn’t think I could win at the beginning. Jorge here is always riding very smooth and very fast, but my bike was working great and with five laps to go I saw I was still there so I tried to make my move. It is amazing to win here, my first victory at this track. I am very happy for my condition too as it looks like surgery was successful finally. I was trying to raise the arm because it was cramping and I was waiting for the numbness but it didn’t come, so I am just so happy. It is a big relief.” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Top six for Edwards, Crutchlow shines again in Estoril Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow continued their excellent start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship in today’s Portuguese Grand Prix after the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo stormed to top eight finishes in Estoril. Edwards claimed a season best sixth place finish after he’d produced a magnificent early challenge to fight with Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso as the Italian pair battled for fourth spot. Taking advantage of the best weather conditions of the weekend that saw air temperatures hit 20 degrees, the experienced American looked poised to join the Rossi and Dovizioso battle on lap ten when he closed to within 1.5s of Dovizioso with a determined performance. But he almost immediately started to encounter a side grip issue and despite a rousing effort to remain in touch with Rossi and Dovizioso, he settled for a safe sixth position to finish leading non-factory rider once again. His top six position also moved him back into the top ten in the overall World Championship standings on 18-points after three rounds. Crutchlow looked on course to secure his best MotoGP finish of a rookie season in which the British rider continues to show his incredible speed. The 2009 World Supersport champion was in outstanding form in the early stages to pull away from an exciting battle involving Hiroshi Aoyama, Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies. Only Aoyama had the speed to match Crutchlow and the pair engaged in a captivating battle for seventh position. Aoyama took seventh on lap 20, but determined not to let the former 250cc World Champion streak away, Crutchlow retaliated on lap 25 with a cl inically executed overtake. Crutchlow kept the hard charging Japanese rider at bay until the start of the final lap, and despite a brilliant attempt to re-pass at the final chicane, Crutchlow was just unable to claim seventh. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team will now prepare for its all-important home race at the historic Le Mans circuit later this month, with Edwards and Crutchlow looking to cement the Team’s position as the leading independent squad in the MotoGP World Championship. Colin Edwards 6th 18 points “I don’t know what happened at the start but there was stuff going on everywhere. I saw Casey have a big moment and then Simoncelli needed a parachute, so it was just survival for the first few corners and see what happened. I saw Valentino and Andrea right in front of me and I was ready to reel them in. I was getting closer but I was pushing so hard just to stay in touch I lost a bit of side grip in the middle of the race and the lap times dropped a bit. I couldn’t have tried any harder to catch them and felt I had the pace in some areas, but when I opened the throttle the traction control would kick in because I was having quite a bit of wheelspin. But to be in the top six in this field is still a great achievement for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and me. I can’t really ask for anything more because I know the package I’m on and I know how fast the factory bikes are and the guys sat on top of them. A top six to take into the next race in France gives us all a lot of confidence because that is a big race for Tech 3 and Monster and I’m already looking forwad to going there.” Cal Crutchlow 8th 21 points “I’m happy enough with that because before the start of the w eekend I’d have never thought it possible to finish in the top eight on a circuit I’d never even seen before. And considering I had problems with both my arms all weekend, it is a great feeling. My right arm, which I had the operation is fine, but my left arm is really sore because I’ve been compensating with it. But the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team have been awesome all weekend. They have experience of helping rookie riders and they are doing a great job for me. And they’ve adjusted the bike to help me feel more comfortable with the arm problems. It is a shame I couldn’t quite beat Aoyama at the end. Earlier in the race I felt really comfortable and kept some really fast and experienced guys behind me. It was a really good battle with Aoyama and while I don’t like to get beaten in a last lap fight, I gave him a good run for his money and it is great experience for me to be in a scrap like that. If I keep doing what I’m doing at the moment then there is no reason why on tracks that I know that I can’t be even further up. I’m really looking forward to Le Mans now. It is a massive race for the Team being in France and also for Monster, so I’ll be looking to get another top ten finish.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager “That was a very good race. We were all a bit worried about the weather, even when we were on the grid, but it stayed dry and allowed Colin and Cal to finish comfortably inside the top eight. Colin had a brilliant start and he pushed really hard in the beginning and he managed to open a gap on the chasing pack to stay right behind Rossi and Dovizioso. He started to lose a bit of time but he could keep his position easily and sixth is a really good result, especially after the big disappointment of Spain when were so close to the podium. I am really pleased as Colin is doing an incredibly good job since the beginning of the season and he deserved to get in the top six. Cal was very strong all weekend again and he continues to amaze me. He was fighting really hard with Aoyama and he never gave up until the very last lap, even though he has less experience of MotoGP and much less experience of the Estoril track than Aoyama. I was a bit worried about his arm before the start of the race, but he showed that he is great in the fight and never gives up. The next race is our home Grand Prix and we are looking forward to a very good result as we know Yamaha is always very strong in Le Mans.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Dani Pedrosa wins GP of Portugal with Stoner 3rd and Dovizioso 4th A great result for the Repsol Honda team that today saw its three riders placed in the first four positions of the Grand Prix of Portugal with Dani Pedrosa on the top step of the podium, Casey Stoner in 3rd and Andrea Dovizioso 4th. Dani Pedrosa conquered his first win on this track, after having been glued to Jorge Lorenzo from the 1st to 24th laps, then with a perfect overtaking manoeuvre he took the lead of the race and ended with a three second advantage. Casey Stoner suffered a difficult first few laps after experiencing a few issues with his tyres, losing contact with the leaders and settled back in third. He remained in this position from the first to the last lap, any hope to catch the front runners was lost around the mid-race point after he was struck with a serious pain in his back that prevented him pushing harder. His team mate Andrea Dovizioso overtook Valentino Rossi on the finishing straight clinching 4th position by just 32 tenths of a second. With todays’ win and three podium finishes in as many races, Dani Pedrosa reduces the gap to Championship leader, Jorge Lorenzo to four points. The Spanish Repsol Honda rider celebrates today his 50th podium in the MotoGP class, all aboard a Honda machine. Stoner is third in the Championship standings with 41 points and Dovizioso sixth with equal points to Hayden (fifth with 30 points). DANI PEDROSA 1st “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 Jorge 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, Jorge is amazing here always riding so smooth and fast, I was trying to stay with him and 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 in this track and thanks to all the doctors, my physio and trainer because it’s been hard work and finally we got a win”. CASEY STONER 3rd “We had a pretty good start to the race but Dani moved across and I had to hit the brakes and back off so after that I was challenging Marco for 3rd position in the first turn and he cut me off which I’m not so happy about, then in turn 4 he crashed and I lost the tow to Dani and Jorge. I didn’t really have a lot of confidence in the first laps with the rear tyre, it didn’t seem to want to work so well especially on the left side, I nearly crashed a few times so I slowed down a little. Then during the race at some point, I felt my back completely lock up on me and I couldn’t move for three or four corners, I was struggling to do anything and had no breath. I thought I had to go back to the garage, but thankfully within half a lap it eased up a little, got better and we managed to finish so I’m very happy to stay in 3rd place today”. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 4th “After a difficult weekend we had a good race with the best lap at the end and a good strategy to overtake Valentino. I was riding at the limit during the whole race and Valentino was stronger in 2-3 points so it was difficult to overtake him. I pushed hard to keep contact with him and at the very last lap I tried to overtake him at turn 10, even if I knew that it’s a difficult corner to overtake. Then at the very last long corner I tried to overtake him inside, Vale closed the door so I tried to exit faster than him, I made it and I could overtake him in the straight with the draft. I’m happy of this result but we are still too far from the first rider. We need to be competitive from the first day if we want to fight with Dani, Casey and Lorenzo so it’s good to have a test tomorrow where we can work on set up and electronic system”. More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: ELIAS MANAGES TO FINISH 11th AT TRICKY ESTORIL CIRCUIT Estoril, 1 May: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Toni Elias got a positive 11th place in today’s 28-lap Grand Prix of Portugal at Estoril race track despite some rear grip issues due to the mixed conditions of the Portuguese asphalt. The third round of the season got underway at 13:00 local time and was held in dry conditions although cloudy skies have welcomed the riders and Teams this morning. After yesterday’s issues which prevented Elias from taking a better spot on todays’ grid, the Spaniard riding the RCV took a good start from the 17th position aiming to stay up in the pack but he struggled because the relatively low track temperatures prevented him from generating enough heat in the rear tyre. However Elias manages to finish 11th obtaining 5 points in the standing and will be back on track tomorrow for an additional day of testing. Elias 11th: “Well… it has been a difficult and hard race for me. In the beginning I have struggled a lot because the bike was pushing a lot in the front in the braking points but then Capirossi and Randy have slowed down and I could catch them. I have beat Loris and could have passed Randy with 2 further laps as my pace was consistent. I am not satisfied about my position but I am pleased with my performance because I pushed hard till the end. In my opinion we have got a big potential and we took a step forward on Friday so in tomorrow’s test we must develop the data we have gathered to improve the bike”. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha MotoGP Team: Lorenzo Retains Championship Lead with Estoril Podium Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo extended his unbroken run of podium finishes today in Portugal for the third round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship. Having taken his fourth consecutive Estoril pole position start in yesterday’s qualifying heat, the reigning World Champion retained the lead from the off. Lorenzo completed a perfect 25 lap run in the lead before relinquishing to Pedrosa just three laps from the end, crossing the line in second place to take valuable championship points. Lorenzo’s team mate Ben Spies was again denied the opportunity to complete the MotoGP race in Estoril. A tool used to temporarily block the fuel overflow pipe on grid was accidentally left in place for the race start, compromising the Texan’s ability to ride competitively. The tool’s location adjacent to the front brake lever made it impossible for him to brake effectively, ultimately affecting his concentration which resulted in a crash with fifteen laps remaining of the race. The team will remain at Estoril tomorrow for an official MotoGP test session before heading to Le Mans in two weeks time for round four. Following today’s race Lorenzo adds another 20 points to his championship tally, giving him a total of 65 at the top of the table. Spies remains on ten points and sits in 14th position. Jorge Lorenzo Position : 2nd Time: +3.051 “I made a good start and I’m really happy for that then I pushed to my maximum to try to open the gap to Dani. Unfortunately today was not the day for that, he was too strong and consistent and at the end he was maybe fresher to push. Second is a good result, we have a lot of points from three races so I think we are in a good way to keep fighting for the championship. I want to thank my team who worked really hard this weekend to make sure we were as competitive as we could be.” Ben Spies Position : DNF Time: “I am bitterly disappointed with today. After a lot of hard work by the crew this weekend we started the race with a very competitive set up and I was feeling good. When I noticed the tool hadn’t been removed I tried to do it myself because it was right in there next to my brake lever. I managed to get it off but then this loose tube was flying around which was pretty scary. It really messed with my concentration as I was worried about taking out another rider in one of the corners and then I crashed. After the DNF at Jerez this was really frustrating as it was completely out of my control, nothing to it now but to move on and come back strong for Le Mans.” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “A second place here at Estoril is very good, of course we would like to have won but it didn’t happen. Jorge led for 25 laps but Dani held on and had a little bit extra in his pocket at the end. He looked very stable and clean when he passed so Jorge was smart to settle for second. We gained a bit in split one and lost a bit in split four from qualifying, you win some, you lose some. Second place is ok and we’re still leading the championship. We’re going for podiums and if we can win then we’ll try, today we couldn’t.” Massimo Meregalli Team Director “Lorenzo took a lot of important points for the championship today. He led for most of the race riding impeccably. When he understood it was difficult to retain the lead he showed his maturity as a racer to secure second place. Ben has again been unlucky at Estoril. It is unfortunate that sometimes these human errors occur in racing at all levels. Fortunately he was uninjured and was able to avoid involving any other riders in the incident. Our focus is now on the test tomorrow and Le Mans in two weeks time.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: 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 on Sunday and with it claimed his first win at the Estoril circuit in any class. Third was Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda). Pedrosa, who only recently had surgery on his injured shoulder, had been seemingly pacing himself behind race leader Lorenzo, until the final three laps, when the Repsol Honda rider passed the Yamaha man down the straight and then delivered a succession of fast 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 from clinching victory at the Estoril circuit for what would have been a fourth successive season. 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). All eyes were 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’s 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 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). 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), who missed the opening two rounds through injury, the Spaniard battled through the pain barrier to record 13th place and claim three points, just six weeks after breaking his leg. Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) who started from the front row suffered his second crash of the Portuguese weekend on the first lap. The Italian, who crashed whilst in contention for pole position during qualifying, came off at the beginning of the race whilst in third. Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) struggled on his second visit to Estoril after several excursions off the track and dropping down to tenth. The American then crashed and was unable to restart the bike. Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Team) had scored points in 19 of the past 20 races since he began his MotoGP career, but this race was not to be for the Spaniard after crashing out on the opening lap with a nasty looking highside. Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) who qualified ahead of the factory Ducati of Hayden in just his third GP start, had his first non-finish of his debut MotoGP campaign after an early off brought his race to a halt. Moto2 After an exciting tussle in the last few laps of the Moto2 race Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) managed to hold off Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) to claim victory, with a poignant rostrum finish for Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) who came third less than a week after the tragic death of his brother. The German rider kept his cool during an eventful race at the front to take his third victory in the Moto2 class and the fifth of his career. The Kalex rider has increased his lead in the World Championship to 13 points over Andrea Iannone (Speed Master). The Italian rider looked potentially on course to triumph in Estoril after clawing his way through the field from starting from the middle of the fifth row, to be leading with only a few laps to go after passing Bradl. However the Suter rider crashed and eventually finished in 13th place, 42 seconds behind the winner. Bradl and Simón had a mouthwatering fight in the last few laps and it was Bradl who crossed the start finish line a mere 0.147s ahead of the Spaniard. The Mapfre Aspar rider was aiming to collect his maiden Moto2 victory in the class, but had to settle for second place and his 23rd career podium. Takahashi was an emotional third, a further six seconds behind the battle at the front. It was a positive weekend for Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP) after his highest grid position in Moto2 of fifth. Aegerter then also finished the race with his best result in the class with fourth place. Simone Corsi (Ioda Racing Project) was in fifth, Pol Espargaró (HP Tuenti Speed Up) sixth and Randy Krummenacher (GP Team Switzerland Kiefer Racing) seventh. Alex Baldolini (Forward Racing), who had his only ever podium in Grand Prix racing here at the circuit in 2010, had his best result of the 2011 campaign so far in eighth place, ahead of Mike di Meglio (Tech 3) and Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX). Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) had got the better of Bradl after a few laps in and had just set the fastest lap of the race whilst attempting to pull away at the front, when he lost the front end of his Suter and went down at Turn 13. That was the end of the Swiss rider’s race and he had to return to the pits to retire. Reigning 125cc World Champion Marc Márquez (Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol) lost control of his bike whilst dicing with British rider Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing) and clattered into the British rider forcing them both off into the gravel. With both riders failing to score so far in this year’s Moto2 campaign, they both managed to continue but finished down in 21st and 25th respectively, It was not a good day for the British riders in the intermediate class as Bradley Smith (Tech 3) was forced to pull into the pits with a wheel problem with ten laps to go and was classified 29th. After challenging for a rostrum position, Kenan Sofuoglu suffered an accident which brought an early halt to his race whilst racing in fifth place for Technomag-CIP. Rookie Michele Pirro (Gresini Racing Moto2) had his first non finish in Moto2, crashing out of sixth place on lap one after achieving his best ever qualifying result in Grand Prix. Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing) was another rider not to reach the chequered flag after his fall mid way through the race. 125 Bankia Aspar’s Nicolas Terol continued his perfect start to the 2011 season with his third successive win of the 125cc campaign. The Spaniard dominated at the front in Estoril and led home Sandro Cortese (Intact-Racing Team Germany) and Johann Zarco (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo). Pole sitter Terol become the first rider to win the opening three 125cc GP races since Masao Azuma in 1999. The 22 year old extended his lead in the championship standings to 25 points after securing maximum points from all three rounds and claimed his eighth career victory. Cortese, who qualified second, continued his run of grid positions in the top two this season and fought with the most experienced rider in the class Héctor Faubel (Bankia Aspar) through the middle of the race. They led a gaggle of riders for an intense battle including Maverick Viñales (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing) and Zarco. However, Faubel hit the tarmac after crashing with just a few laps remaining, when he was in line for the final spot on the rostrum. Frenchman Zarco, who achieved his first podium in 125cc at the last round in Jerez, made it two in a row after a photo-finish between him and rookie rider Viñales decided that the Ajo Motorsport rider beat him on the line. The difference between third and fourth was a marginal two-thousandths of a second. Fourth place was the Spaniard’s best result of his debut campaign in 125cc, after narrowly missing the opportunity to stand on the rostrum. Jonas Folger (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) who is now joint third in the championship with Zarco, was fifth, ahead of Efrén Vázquez (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo). Miguel Oliveira (Team Andalucía Banca Cívica) who became the first Portuguese rider to start on the front row of a Grand Prix grid, finished in seventh in front of the home crowd in his third race of his rookie season. Luis Salom (RW Racing GP) was eighth, one spot in front of the second Bankia Aspar bike of Adrián Martín. Tenth went to Simone Grotzkyj (Phonica Racing). Danny Kent (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) had a ride through penalty for a jump start but came through to finish in 15th and clinch the last point on offer. Kent fought off competition from fellow compatriot, Danny Webb (Mahindra Racing) who had to settle for 16th. The third British rider Harry Stafford (Ongetta-Centro Seta) had a crash towards the latter stages of the race and had to return to the pits. Taylor Mackenzie (Phonica Racing) who qualified 26th after a crash in QP, did not start the race due to a shoulder injury sustained in his fall. More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: NICE RACE FOR ROSSI AND HAYDEN AT ESTORIL The third round of the world championship, at the Estoril circuit, saw Valentino Rossi put in a nice race on a dry track, as there was no rain after this morning’s wet warm-up. The Italian started well from the third row and made up more positions on the first lap, bringing him to fourth place. From there, he maintained a good rhythm for the entire race, holding off Andrea Dovizioso until the very end, when Dovizioso slipped by in the race to the line and finished in front by a hair””just twenty-five thousandths of a second. Starting from the fifth row, Nicky Hayden also had a very strong launch, and the American was seventh after the first lap. A small shifting problem affected him a little, but it was mainly the contact with Spies that caused him to lose a gap to Aoyama and Crutchlow. He was ninth at the finish. Tomorrow the Ducati Marlboro Team will stay for a post-race test with the other MotoGP teams, and naturally, good weather is hoped for so that the team can continue its development of the GP11. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 5th “Apart from Dovizioso, today went well! I’m joking, but Andrea obviously rode a race that was strategically perfect. I think he played with me a little, knowing that on the straight, he could probably beat me to the line. He couldn’t pass me because I was strong on the brakes, so he had me do all the work for 28 laps before making his attempt, and he got me by twenty-five thousandths. Apart from that, the team and I are very happy, because it was a nice race and this, for the time being, is the best we can do. I started well, I made up several positions, and then I was very consistent, with decent times. I practically did the same lap from qualifying for 28 laps, so it’s a good result. My only disappointment is that fourth would have been my best finish with the Ducati. Anyway, another positive is that I’m physically well, as I’m missing just fifteen percent of my strength, but I think I’ll be at 100 percent between Le Mans and Catalunya. As for the bike, there’s certainly still work to do, but we’re working together with the Ducati technicians. They’re pleased with the data they have, and I’m seeing that what I get from the racing department works. It will take some time, but we’re going forward. Tomorrow we’ll have some new things to try, so let’s hope that it’s dry, and we’ll see how it goes. We don’t expect to solve everything in seven hours, just to continue down the path we’ve started on together.” Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro Team) 9th “Starting from thirteenth, it was always going to be difficult for us, but the bike was good off the line and I got a good start. I made some early mistakes, but I was also recovering a few positions. I got into seventh, but I was having difficulty back-shifting. Already on the sighting lap, I knew it was an issue. On the grid, we talked about getting on the other bike, but we decided together that it was better to stick with our bike and not start from pit road. It caused some difficulty, especially on corner entry, and some guys came past. Then Spies hit me pretty good and stood me up going into Turn 3, so I lost the bridge to Aoyama and Crutchlow. I’m really happy we have a test tomorrow. We’ve got some stuff to try, and hopefully we’ll get some good weather, because we lost some dry time this weekend with the rain. The bike was great in the wet””third Friday and fourth this morning””but we need to make it better in the dry.” Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager) “Valentino had a good start and a nice race: we were very consistent with the times, and the gap to the front was reduced, which indicates that the work we’re doing on the GP11 is going in the right direction. Nicky also got away well when the lights went off and, despite a shifting issue, he stayed strong and finished in the top ten. Tomorrow will be a test day, and we’ll try some updates to different areas of the bike, so we hope that the weather won’t play any dirty tricks on us so that we can take advantage of all the track time.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: In was back to the sunshine for the MotoGP series after two days of practice and qualifying in the rain and wind. There was good news for Pramac Racing Team, which for the first time this year had both of its riders””Randy de Puniet and Loris Capirossi””finish the race. The Frenchman, in particular, erased his disappointing results in practice and in qualifying by finishing the race in tenth place and””despite the sharp pain in his left knee, which recently underwent surgery””earning his first points of the season. Loris Capirossi, on the other hand, expected much more. Motivated by the continuing progress with his Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian had hoped to continue to keep pace in the early laps of the race. His twelfth place is worth 4 points. There’s a test tomorrow at Estoril, but not for Randy: the rider will return at home for a check-up. Marco Rigamonti – Track Engineer, Randy De Puniet ” “We’re surprised. Randy’s race was affected by his knee pain, but we’re satisfied overall. We were able to take some points home in the end. We’ll try to solve the problems -which we didn’t manage to do this weekend- with the bike before Le Mans, which we didn’t manage to do this weekend. The bike seems to work well on some tracks, like Qatar and Estoril, whereas at others we can’t get it like we want it.” Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – 10th in race – 16th in MotoGP standings “I’m partly happy. Before the start of the race, if I knew I’d finish tenth, I’d have celebrated the result this weekend. But I don’t know what happened with my knee. It hurts very badly in the race, and I didn’t have enough strength in my legs. I had X-rays earlier this week, but I don’t know how my ligaments are. I hope it’s not anything serious, but tomorrow I will return at home for a check-up. As for the bike, we’ll try to fix the problems with the front. I’m happy for the six points earned, but without the pain in my knee, my result would undoubtedly have been better. We must work to find the same feeling glimpsed at Losail and Jerez.” Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – 12th in race – 15th in MotoGP standings ” “I expected a different outcome, certainly something better from this race. Whether the results obtained in these two days, both for started. I was just very aggressive, I spent a lot of motion. But the problems with the front slowed down my pace by a second per lap. It’s unfortunate, because we had worked well. Now we’ll focus on the test, where we’ll try to make some progress. We must be positive and have a winning mentality. We’re only at the third race.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: 2011 FIM ROAD RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND PRIX ROUND 03 MAY 01 ESTORIL, PORTUGAL RESULTS Weather: warm, cloudy Temperature: ambient 20C/track: 38C Attendance: 62,114 MASTERFUL PEDROSA WINS TENSE ESTORIL DUEL, STONER THIRD Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) won his first victory of the year in brilliant style at Estoril today, shadowing Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) for much of the race before moving ahead in the final stages. Pedrosa’s 13th premier-class win and his first success at Estoril moves him to within four points of series leader Lorenzo with three of 18 rounds done. Pedrosa’s team-mates Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda RC212V) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) finished third and fourth, Dovizioso snatching his position from Valentino Rossi (Ducati) at the finish line. Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) rode well to seventh, but team-mate Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) was out of luck, falling on the first lap after starting the race from the front row. The race got underway in cool conditions, with the track none too grippy following two days of rain showers. Stoner had a huge moment exiting the very first turn, then Simoncelli highsided three corners later at turn four (the first left-hander), which also claimed Hector Barbera (Ducati). Simoncelli was battered and bruised, but otherwise unhurt. Lorenzo led the race from pole position chased hard by Pedrosa and the positions stayed like that for 24 laps, the two Spaniards just metres apart as Pedrosa watched and waited. Pedrosa didn’t know what to expect because this was his first race since he underwent further surgery on the left shoulder he injured in last October’s Japanese GP. Following last month’s Spanish GP, surgeons operated to relieve pressure on a pinched artery that had been interrupting blood flow in the shoulder. The fact that Pedrosa was able to race to the finish without numbness or loss of strength seems to indicate that the op was a success, a huge relief for the former 250 and 125 World Champion. Today’s race was a masterful tactical display from the 25-year-old. On lap 25 he drew level with Lorenzo and out-braked him into the first turn. Twice in the next three laps he broke the lap record to give his rival no chance to counter attack. Pedrosa crossed the line 3.051s in front. Stoner spent most of the race alone in third to bring home valuable points following his DNF at Jerez where he was knocked off by Rossi. The Australian has struggled all weekend to get his RC212V working perfectly on this bumpy, patchy racetrack and lacked some feeling during the race, especially in left-handers during the early stages. A further problem was a recurring back injury, which struck him mid-race, putting him in serious pain and discomfort. Stoner has had back problems following a crash at the 2003 Catalan GP. If Pedrosa left his move to the late stages, Dovizioso left his until the final seconds of the race. The Italian shadowed Rossi from the first lap to the last, apparently unable to make any inroads into his compatriot. In fact he had been biding his time and he timed his attack to perfection, getting superb drive out of the final corner to beat Rossi by 0.025s. Aoyama won an entertaining battle with rookie Cal Crutchlow, the pair swapping places several times before the Japanese finally prevailed on the final lap. Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP RC212V) had a better race day than he expected. After struggling in practice and qualifying he was able to ride well, attacking Loris Capirossi (Ducati) in the final few laps to finish 11th. Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing-Kalex) took the lead in the Honda-powered Moto2 World Championship with a brilliant 0.147s victory over Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2-Suter). Bradl, who won the season-opening Qatar race, led most of the 26 laps, only briefly losing first place to Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2-Suter) and Andrea Iannone (Speed Master-Suter) who both fell. Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing Moto2-Moriwaki) completed the podium in third place. With the track still damp in places from morning rainfall rain, Bradl led from pole, but soon came under attack from Luthi. The Swiss took the lead on lap four, only to slide off a few corners later. From there, Bradl fought off challenges from Kenan Sofuoglu (Technomag-CIP-Suter) and by lap 11 he had established a 1.4s lead. Next man to pressure the young German was Simon, who closed the gap down to a few tenths, just as Iannone arrived on the scene. Iannone had made a typically spectacular charge through the pack, coming through from the fifth row of the grid to attack Simon and then Bradl to take the lead with a few laps remaining. But his hard charging had taken its toll on his tyres and he slid off at the chicane on lap 23, while just ahead of Bradl and Simon. The Italian, who had earlier established a new lap record, remounted to finish an unlucky 13th. Iannone’s downfall put Bradl back into the lead, and although Simon did his best to mount an attack during the last two laps, he never quite got close enough to attempt a pass. This was Simon’s first podium of the year and his sixth runner-up finish in Moto2. Takahashi crossed the line six seconds further back. It has been a sad and emotional weekend for the Japanese star who lost his brother Koki in a road accident in Saitama, Japan, last weekend. Takahashi dedicated his race to his brother’s memory. Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP-Suter) finished fourth, just ahead of Simone Corsi (Ioda Racing Project-FTR), for his best-ever GP finish. Pol Espargaro (Pons HP40-Pons Kalex) came through to win a thrilling four-way battle for sixth, a fraction ahead of Randy Krummenacher (GP Team Switzerland Kiefer Racing-Kalex), Alex Baldolini (NGM Forward Racing-Suter) and Mike Di Meglio (Tech 3 Racing-Tech 3). The Moto2 action was fast and furious throughout and there were a number of fallers, including Marc Marquez (Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol-Suter) who took out Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team-Suter) in the early stages. Marquez and Redding remounted to finish 21st and 25th. The next round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship, the French Grand Prix, takes place at Le Mans on May 13/14/15. Honda MotoGP rider quotes Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1st “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 Jorge 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; Jorge is amazing here, always riding so smooth and fast. I was trying to stay with him and 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 in this track and thanks to all the doctors, my physio and trainer because it’s been hard work and finally we got a win.” Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda: 3rd “We had a pretty good start to the race, but Dani moved across and I had to back off so after that I was challenging Marco for third position in the first turn and he cut me off which I’m not so happy about, then in turn four he crashed and I lost the tow to Dani and Jorge. I didn’t really have a lot of confidence in the first laps with the rear tyre, it didn’t seem to want to work so well especially on the left side, and I nearly crashed a few times so I slowed down a little. Then during the race at some point, I felt my back completely lock up on me and I couldn’t move for three or four corners, I was struggling to do anything and had no breath. I thought I had to go back to the garage, but thankfully within half a lap it eased up a little, got better and we managed to finish so I’m very happy to stay in third place today.” Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: 4th “After a difficult weekend we had a good race with the best lap at the end and a good strategy to overtake Valentino. I was riding at the limit during the whole race and Valentino was stronger in two or three points so it was difficult to overtake him. I pushed hard to keep contact with him and at the very last lap I tried to overtake him at turn ten, even if I knew that it’s a difficult corner to overtake. Then at the very last long corner I tried to overtake him inside, Vale closed the door so I tried to exit faster than him, I made it and I could overtake him in the straight with the draft. I’m happy of this result, but we are still too far from the first rider. We need to be competitive from the first day if we want to fight with Dani, Casey and Lorenzo so it’s good to have a test tomorrow where we can work on set up and electronic system.” Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 7th “First of all I have to say thanks to the team because they have done a great job in changeable weather over the weekend here at Estoril. I tried to stay as focused as possible in the race, which wasn’t easy at the start on cold tyres but after about five laps I started to get confident with them and the bike. At that point I was able to be more decisive and after a tough fight with Crutchlow all the way to the last lap I was able to secure seventh place. It is a positive result but we will try to do better still in the next race.” Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP: 11th “Well… it has been a difficult and hard race for me. In the beginning I have struggled a lot because the bike was pushing a lot in the front in the braking points, but then Capirossi and Randy have slowed down and I could catch them. I beat Loris and could have passed Randy with two more laps as my pace was consistent. I am not satisfied about my position but I am pleased with my performance because I pushed hard till the end. In my opinion we have got a big potential and we took a step forward on Friday so in tomorrow’s test we must develop the data we have gathered to improve the bike.” Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini: DNF “I am really disappointed for myself and for the team. I had a warning from the rear tyre coming out of turn one. I also saw Pedrosa and Stoner have trouble so I tried to stay calm and decided to take turn three in a higher gear to keep the engine sweet. I did the same in the next corner to make sure it wasn’t too aggressive but in the middle of the corner with the throttle closed I was thrown out of my seat and that was goodnight. I am really disappointed and I don’t know what else to say. For sure it was my mistake and I have to be more careful next time. It’s a shame because I was fast! We’ll try not to make any stupid mistakes at Le Mans.” Moto2 rider quotes Stefan Bradl, Viessmann Kiefer Racing-Kalex: 1st “That race was very hard for me. I got a good start and tried to concentrate on myself, which wasn’t easy because the asphalt wasn’t 100 per cent dry everywhere. Luthi was pushing hard, he came past and then he made a mistake and crashed. I just tried to stay focused because I knew the conditions were dangerous. I had a good pace, but my pit board was giving me +1, +0.5, +1, so I knew it was impossible to break away from the others. Then Iannone caught me, overtook me and he too made a mistake and crashed. I knew I had to be careful, it was dangerous because I was having problems with front whenever I flicked into a turn. I knew Julian was right behind me, so I closed him down. This victory is wonderful, my thanks to my team.” Julian Simon, Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2-Suter: 2nd “I’m very happy with this podium, especially because it is my first at Estoril. I’m also happy with the whole weekend, because we’ve been on a much better level here than we were at the first two races. The start was difficult and I found it impossible to run the pace of the leaders. After Luthi crashed I was able to catch Stefan step by step, until Iannone came past me. When he crashed I was able to get close to Stefan again and my plan was to pass him at the chicane on the last lap but he closed the line. I’ll try again at Le Mans.” Yuki Takahashi, Gresini Racing Moto2-Moriwaki: 3rd “It’s been very difficult to concentrate this weekend. I did the only thing I could focus on the race. Our first day was very good, the second day not so bad. I got a good start in the race and I wanted to follow the leaders but they were too fast. From the middle of the race my bike became a little nervous and I almost crashed a few times. Maybe my brother helped me.”