FIM MotoGP World Championship Misano, San Marino September 16, 2012 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 27 laps, 42:49.836 2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (DUCATI), -4.398 seconds 3. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (HONDA), -6.055 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (YAMAHA), -6.058 5. Ben SPIES, USA (YAMAHA), -7.543 6. Stefan BRADL, Germany (HONDA), -13.272 7. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -40.907 8. Jonathan REA, UK (HONDA), -43.162 9. Randy DE PUNIET, France (Aprilia-ART), -69.627 10. Michele PIRRO, Italy (Honda-Gresini/FTR), -73.605 11. Colin EDWARDS, USA (BMW-SUTER), -76.695 12. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (Kawasaki-BQR), -79.073 13. James ELLISON, UK (Aprilia-PBM/ART), -79.408 14. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (BMW-IODA/SUTER), -1 lap 15. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki-BQR), -1 lap 16. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (Aprilia-ART), -4 laps, DNF, retired 17. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (YAMAHA), -23 laps, DNF, crash 18. Mattia PASINI, Italy (Aprilia-Speed Master/ART), -26 laps, DNF, crash 19. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -27 laps, DNF, crash 20. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -27 laps, DNF, crash 21. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), -27 laps, DNF, started from pit lane, crashed World Championship Point Standings (after 13 of 18 races): 1. Lorenzo, 270 points 2. Pedrosa, 232 3. Casey Stoner, 186 4. Dovizioso, 163 5. Crutchlow, 122 6. Rossi, 120 7. Bautista, 118 8. Bradl, 115 9. Hayden, 93 10. Spies, 77 11. Barbera, 60 12. De Puniet, 48 13. Aleix Espargaro, 45 14. TIE, Abraham/Hernandez, 25 16. Pirro, 24 17. Edwards, 22 18. Ellison, 17 19. Pasini, 13 20. TIE, Petrucci/Ivan Silva, 11 22. Toni Elias, 10 23. Rea, 8 24. Steve Rapp, 2 25. Salom, 1 More, from a press release issued by Speed Master: PASINI CRASHES OUT ON THE SECOND LAP IN THE MISANO GRAND PRIX The thirteenth Grand Prix of the 2012 season for the MotoGP class ended today at the circuit of Misano Adriatico. In the warm up of this morning, Pasini tried out a different option for the set-up of his ART machine, which wasn’t used in the race. Mattia started from the sixth row, and thanks to a good move he got up to the tenth spot in the first lap. However, he crashed out on the second lap and that forced him to end his race in advance, without achieving any point in his home Grand Prix. The Italian holds 13 points, and he’s nineteenth in the Championship Classification for the MotoGP class. Mattia Pasini #54 – crashed out “This was an unlucky Sunday. We had a good potential, our setting was well-thought and we were confident we could move up a few positions in the race. We had an hectic moment with the first start, but once things were rearranged I managed to move up to the tenth placement and we were top CRT. The bike was working well, but on the second lap I crashed out: we could have had a good race, but we now have to wait for the next occasion to make up for this.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: APOLOGIES TO DANI! It was a difficult weekend for the Pramac Racing Team and Héctor Barberà. The Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini had started with tricky weather conditions (that hampered all three free practice sessions), and it finished with HéctorÂ’s crash during the first lap. Getting back on the track after a six-week absence, Héctor was eager to ride his Ducati again, but unfortunately his race finished too early for him to demonstrate his potential. Héctor lost the front of his bike in one of the first few corners, crashing and taking World Championship contender Dani Pedrosa out as well. The error was obviously unintentional and Héctor extends his apologies to the rider and his team. The next round is scheduled in two weeks and it will take place in Aragon, Spain. Héctor Barberà – Pramac Racing Team Rider – DNF “ItÂ’s a shame. I was impatient to get back on the track, but my adventure finished too early to enjoy myself. Unfortunately, when I followed DaniÂ’s wheel I lost my braking point and hit the brakes far too late. I tried to slow the bike down, but I lost grip on the front. IÂ’m very disappointed, even more so because I took out Dani in the process and that was the last thing that I wanted to happen. It was my fault that he crashed out and I apologise profusely to him for that. I also apologise to my team that worked so hard this week. Now I have to wait another two weeks, but I will be ready for the Spanish round.” Francesco Guidotti – Pramac Racing Team Manager – “ItÂ’s a shame about the early crash. Héctor really did not mean it. We are sad, in particular because the crash caught up the World Championship contender, Pedrosa. Héctor was trying to gain places but he lost his braking reference and hit the brakes too hard, losing grip and sliding into Dani. All the Pramac Racing Team apologize to Pedrosa and his crew.” More, from a press release issued by Cardion AB Motoracing: Abraham did not finish the race after the crash in Misano The Czech rider Karel Abraham was followed with the bad luck in Sunday´s race in Misano. Technical problems on both bikes caused the heavy crash in the first lap of the race. Problems with the clutch have already occured on the starting grid and the race had to be restarted. The situation repeated again and Abaja finally started to the race with the second bike from the end of the pit lane. The winner of the race was Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo. Karel Abraham, rider Cardion AB Motoracing “žThis is like a really bad dream. It sounds unbeliveable, but we had technical problems on both bikes today. I tried four times to leave the starting grid and the engine turned off four times. We found out the defect of the small ring on the clutch pistol. In the end I had to start to the race with the second bike from the end of the pit lane. After the race start it seemed to me that the bike slides on the left side. I thought it was due to the new tyres. In the half of the first lap the rear break stopped to work properly and than came the highsider and really heavy crash. The problem was with the small screw which holds the brake tube. The oil from it dripped directly on the rare tyre. I must see doctors now as my right leg is aching. Then we´ll decide what to do.” Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing “žWe noticed the small problem with the ring on the clutch pistol on Friday alreday and we replaced it immediately. We did it once more yesterday night just for safety reasons, so we didn´t realised the problems on the starting grid could be caused by this defect. On the second bike was the problem with the small screw on the rear brake. It was pulled out little bit and the oil dripped directly on the tyre. I can´t believe that something like that could happened to us, because the warm up session was perfect this morning and both bikes were absolutely ok. We are happy that our rider is more or less ok and he can even walk after the horrible crash. Now we must try to concentrate and get ready for the next race in Spain.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha MotoGP Team: Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo brought his 2012 race win tally to six today, leading from the start grid to take victory in the Grand Prix of San Marino. The victory was doubly special for Yamaha as it was achieved running a special Yamaha ‘Race- Blu’ livery. The race itself started in dramatic fashion after Karel Abraham stalled on the grid causing yellow flags to come out and the start lights to remain on. Confusion followed with some riders false starting. In the chaos arch rival Dani Pedrosa suffered some technical issues and was then relegated to the back of the grid. The Spaniard was soon to crash out of the race, giving Championship leader Lorenzo the opportunity to wrap up Misano having secured a 38 point advantage and a total of 270 points from his six wins and six second place finishes. Ben Spies was pleased to finally complete a race weekend without major incident, the Texan starting well from his third row start to jump to sixth on the first lap. A lack of feeling with the less than perfect set up resulted in a little loss of speed mid-race but Spies was soon to step up the pace again, eventually passing Stephan Bradl to take fifth at the line just seven seconds behind his team mate in first. The 11 points taken puts him on 77 and he remains in 10th place in the standings. Jorge Lorenzo Position : 1st Time: 42’49.836 “It’s been a very tough weekend because Dani and I have been very close in the qualifying and the warm up. Unfortunately today he had really bad luck, first with the lights at the beginning of the race and then Hector took him out. This was really unfortunate for him. In Holland we were unlucky and today he was unlucky, anything can happen in these races. We have to be happy with our result and the point advantage we now have, for sure we are much more calm now than before the race! The race was difficult for everyone, only having qualifying was not enough when you have to set up the chassis and electronics and everything for the race. It was hotter during the race so there was less grip too. I almost crashed in turn one but managed to save it too!” Ben Spies Position : 5th Time: +7.543 “I know we didn’t get on the podium but I’m glad we were able to finally just have a normal race. Some of the times weren’t quick enough for the podium but we put on a good charge in the end. We struggled with a few things, especially some feeling with the front tyre. It’s been a difficult weekend and we didn’t start the race with the perfect set up but luckily could still put together an ok race. After what’s happened in the last eight weeks it almost feels like a podium for me!” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “A very spectacular race and an important victory. Of course I feel sorry for Dani because he didn’t deserve what happened. At the end of the day you can’t have 18 races without incidents, it would be nice but impossible. We’re leading now with 38 points with five races to go so we need to keep up the pressure to the end.” Massimo Meregalli Team Director “A great victory for Jorge, especially during a special event for Yamaha with the Race-Blu launch. A shame for Dani, suffering the same as we did in Assen. We’re in a great position now but from here to the end we need to stay consistent. Unfortunately Ben didn’t have a great feeing with the front tyre which compromised his results. A top five finish is good anyway after such a difficult weekend and definitely a step in the right direction.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Bad luck for Pedrosa, confident 8th place for Rea in Misano The Repsol Honda team endured a bizarre race in the San Marino Grand Prix this afternoon, with Dani Pedrosa being taken out on the first lap. A last minute yellow flag displayed due to issues with Karel Abraham’s bike, created confusion on the grid as teams regrouped to prepare for a restart. When Dani’s crew went to remove his front tyre warmer the wheel was locked, causing delay for the Spanish rider. The brake issue was resolved only after the permitted time and for this reason Dani had to start from the back of the grid. Title contender Dani had a strong start from 21st and had climbed to 8th position in few corners, when Hector Barberá crashed in turn 6 and unfortunately wiped out his fellow countryman. Dani’s Repsol Honda team-mate Jonathan Rea avoided any such drama and found himself in clear space for much of the race. Jonathan, taking part in his first MotoGP race, took this opportunity to progress his already rapid learning curve on the Honda RC213V. As his confidence grew, he gradually closed in on Nicky Hayden but was unable to catch him. He finished in 8th position and scored his maiden points in the premier class. The next race takes place in 2 weeks in Aragon. Dani will be looking to recover some important points on Lorenzo and Jonathan will continue to gain experience on the Honda MotoGP machine at a track he has already tested at in early September. JONATHAN REA 8th World Championship Standing: 23rd with 8 points “It was a tough race and I just wanted to get into a rhythm and maintain it. I’m still nowhere near the limit, I’m not really having any moments, just a few mistakes running wide, it’s a matter of trust and I’m still acclimatising to the machine. I’m really happy with the progress I made throughout the race and I learnt so much that you simply can’t pick up in testing about race distance, how the tyre wear goes down, the fuel load and how the bike behaves differently. In the beginning Nicky pulled a gap and I was catching him but in the end it wasn’t enough. To finish 8th is ok, but the gap to the front is a little frustrating. In general I’m really happy and I’m looking forward to the next challenge in Aragon. I want to thank all the Rep sol Honda team for their hard work and support they’ve given me and to all the fans back home”. DANI PEDROSA DNF World Championship Standing: 2nd with 232 points “It’s was total chaos and many things happened at the same time. It all began with the restart because the procedure was not at all clear. Nobody knew if it was one minute, three minutes, warmers on or off”¦ We were also getting different information about the number of laps, 26, 27″¦ Then suddenly we were told it was 1 minute to the start of the race, with no board signage, nothing. The mechanics were rushing to prepare and when they tried to take off the warmers my front wheel was somehow locked, they tried to unlocked it but they weren’t able to and due to the 1 minute warning – where they are not allowed to touch the bike anymore – they put me to the back of the grid. I tried to remain focused, not make any mistake on the first lap, make clear moves to overtake riders and I was 8th or 9th by the sixth corner when Barberá hit me from behind, and that was it. I’m very upset because even it’s easy to say now, I think I could have had a chance to win this race, even starting from the last place on the grid. Now the Championship is obviously more uphill for me, but I will continue the same way. We have done everything we could so far, the bike is working well and I’m riding well, too. So it’s not over for me; there are still 5 races to go and we will do our best”. More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Dovizioso battles for home podium in Misano Andrea Dovizioso finished a dramatic MotoGP race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in fourth position, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider putting up a fantastic race long fight for the podium in hot and sunny conditions. Dovizioso was in contention for his sixth podium of an impressive 2012 World Championship campaign throughout the race, which was shortened to 27-laps after an aborted first start. When the action did finally get underway in front of his home crowd of 45,104 fans, Dovizioso kept himself in contention for the podium right until the final moments of the race. His podium bid started on lap 24 when he swept by Stefan Bradl, and he then immediately launched a thrilling pursuit of Alvaro Bautista in third. Dovizioso, who was looking for a second podium on home soil in 2012 after finishing third in Mugello back in early July, started the final lap 0.493s behind Bautista. The Italian quickly slashed that deficit to set up an intriguing final few corners and it looked like he had timed his bid for the podium for perfection when he passed Bautista at the final corner. Unfortunately he ran wide on the exit and after a photo finish he was awarded fourth position, with Bautista taking third by just 0.003s. British rider Cal Crutchlow was also in the hunt for a second successive podium after he made a solid start from the front row of the grid. The 26-year-old was running a comfortable and consistent pace when he crashed at the first corner on lap five. He walked away unhurt but he was unable to continue after his YZR-M1 suffered a bent right handlebar in the spill. Andrea Dovizioso 4th 163 points: “It is a pity to finish so close to the podium in my home race because I really wanted to make the top three for the first time in Misano. It was a difficult race right from the start because I had a problem with the front and could not brake hard and enter the corners like during the practice. That meant I had to change my lines and I was not as fast as I expected and I could not catch Valentino and I could not push. I just had to ride smooth and at the end my feeling improved a bit because I could at least fight for the podium. It is a pity I couldn’t take third from Alvaro but I ran wide exiting the final corner. I did my best and the good thing is that despite a difficult race I was still battling for the podium right to the very end. We still scored some very important points for the Championship and hopefully with a better feeling with the bike I can be back on the podium at the Motorland Aragon.” Cal Crutchlow DNF 122 points: “I got a really bad start from the front row and quickly lost a couple of places. Actually it was not that I missed the lights but I released the clutch and nothing happened because the clutch was already out and that was my mistake. Luckily I managed to stay in fifth position but then it was really difficult to pass Andrea. On lap four I could see I was catching him a little but he is a demon on the brakes and I was also having a problem stopping the bike with a full fuel load. I wanted to pass him at the first corner but as soon as I got in the middle of the corner I lost the front. I got a bang on my left leg and thought it might be injured but the feeling came back quickly and I could have got back in the race. But the right handlebar was badly bent so the throttle didn’t move. I am disappointed because looking at how the race unfolded I gave up a great chance to be back on the podium. Rossi and Bradl recovered quite a few points on me too today, so I need to get back on track in Aragon to make sure I keep fifth place in the World Champions hip.” Herve Poncharal Team Manager: “It is a pity on two fronts today because Cal’s early crash I think definitely cost him the chance of another podium. He clearly had the pace to be in the top three and it is a shame that he fell so early. He had a really strong qualifying to be on the front row again and we were all confident he could repeat his podium from Brno. It is a shame for Andrea also to miss a podium by the narrowest margin. It was a tough race for Andrea with the bike not giving him the feeling he expected, so he did a great job to be in the podium battle right to the end. Unfortunately I think he lost too much time trying to pass Bradl and that didn’t give him the time to overtake Bautista. It is very difficult to overtake on a tight track like this but Andrea did his best to give the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team another podium. The photo finish showed a tiny advantage to Alvaro so maybe next time we will come out on top in that situation. I want to congratulate Yamaha and Jorge today also because they scored a very important win for the Championship.” More, from a press release issued by Power Electronics Aspar Team: DE PUNIET COMES BACK AFTER RUNNING OFF TRACK AND COMES OUT ON TOP OF THE CRT RIDERS The POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider produced a stunning comeback and returns to the head of the CRT ranking, knocking his teammate off the top after Aleix Espargaró suffered a technical problem Today at Misano a problem for Karel Abraham delayed the start of the MotoGP race, with a yellow flag waved in order to avoid any safety issues. As nerves spread down the start/finish straight Dani Pedrosa also experienced a problem and had to pull away, meaning he was then relegated to the back of the grid for the restarted race. His title rival Jorge Lorenzo made the most of the situation and pulled away at the front from the beginning. That was not the end of the drama though as shortly after the end of the first lap Hector Barberá took Pedrosa out of the equation. The Spanish pair were not the only ones to crash out, in a race which saw just 15 riders reach the finishing line. Indeed the contest produced several crashes and proceedings were dominated by Lorenzo as the balance of the World Championship shifted in his favour, whilst there was a welcome second placed finish for Valentino Rossi in his home GP. Rossi beat Alvaro Bautista in a photo finish on the line on what was anything but an average Sunday. For POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar both riders could have had better luck when they both truly deserved to be at the front of the CRT battle. De Puniet was impeded from the first lap after receiving a blow from another rider, but he was soon back in the thick of it, chasing down his teammate Aleix, catching up with him by lap six. After following his colleague’s moves for ten laps De Puniet made his decision to overtake, but Aleix countered the Frenchman and fought back. It looked as though the pair would fight for CRT supremacy in the final stages, but with four laps to go the Catalan rider was forced out with a technical issue, leaving De Puniet to cross the line on his own, in ninth place. In gaining seven more points De Puniet takes the lead in the CRT standings, three points ahead of Espargaró. Randy De Puniet 9th: “I am happy, because when Héctor touched me just after the back straight I was lucky not to crash. I lost a lot of places and I was nearly at the back of the group. I needed to force things in order to regain ground. I reached Aleix and stuck with him for seven laps. I didn’t really feel very comfortable, because after running off track I noticed that the bike was locking up at the front on all the right handers. I decided to wait to pass my teammate. At the end of the race he unfortunately had a mechanical issue and was unable to continue, so I’m sorry for him. We were able to complete the race, took a lot of points and are back in front in the CRT standings”. Aleix Espargaró (retired – DNF): “It was a real shame to have the problem as I’d got away well. It was tough to get into race pace in the early stages but lap by lap I was getting more comfortable. Today I was quicker than I had been earlier in the weekend and once my teammate caught me I was able to fight properly with him. Once he overtook me I was riding smoothly and waiting to attack but with seven laps to go I noticed an engine fault and four laps from the end I had to stop on the final straight. If I had not had that problem I would still be provisional CRT leader, but now is not the time to worry about that. There are five race to go and we need to keep fighting.” More, from a press release issued by Avintia Blusens MotoGP Team: Yonny Hernández finishes fourth in the CRT´s and twelfth David Salom manages to score in his debut G.P. Misano, 16 September 2012.Today was a very surprising day in the MotoGP class. First of all an aborted start which re-organized the grid, then the issues experienced by Pedrosa in the warm-up which forced him to start from the last position. Fortunately the Avintia Blusens riders managed to avoid any mishaps and completed a hassle-free race. After the first few laps Yonny Hernández was riding third in the CRT’s right behind the ART’s and was giving the impression he could finish the race in this position. However the lack of time to adjust the new fork caused the Colombian to experience excessive chattering which prevented him to stand the pace necessary to finish among the leading CRT’s. For his part David Salom scored in his debut G.P. as he finished in the fifteenth position. David still needs time to adapt to the new class and both the team and him used this race as a training practice so he could improve in every respect. 68 Yonny Hernández (12º, +1´19.073):”In the beginning of the race I was in a good position and I had a good grip but after a few laps I began to suffer from excessive chattering and I could not maintain the pace. We did not manage to adjust the new fork properly and it caused us to lose every option for a better result. On the one hand I am glad because we are still ranked third in the CRT’s but on the other hand I am a little disappointed with the race we did today. I thought we would be more competitive here in Misano and we could maintain the level we had reached in the previous rounds. But it proved to be impossible. I hope we’ll have enough time to find the right adjustments before the round in Aragón and be able to fight for better positions in the CRT’s”. 44 David Salom (15º, +1V): “It was a difficult and complicated weekend. Riding in wet conditions in the free training practices made the debut difficult. I first tried the motorbike in dry in yesterday’s qualifying practice and of course there is still a great deal of work to be done. The team was perfect and they were really helpful. We must improve the setting-up so that the bike suits my riding style but we need a bit more time. Today we took the race as a training practice except that we didn’t drop by the boxes. I had the opportunity to try out a new adjustment on the suspension compared to yesterday and as a result the way I ride the CRT evolved. The tyres and the brakes constitute the main difference compared to the SBK’s but no doubt we’ll improve soon. Besides I hope I’ll be more competitive in Aragón”. More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: At this weekend’s Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera de Rimini in Misano it was Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo who charged to a dominant victory in a dramatic race ahead of Valentino Rossi and Álvaro Bautista. It was a problematic start as a partially aborted race-start due to issues with Karel Abraham’s Cardion AB Racing Ducati prompted a re-start. The race was then shortened to 27 laps due to the additional sighting lap, yet in another twist, pole-sitter Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa then also had to start from the back of the grid after wheeling his bike into pit-lane to re-start it, after his team could not resolve a locked front-wheel in the given time. The story unfolded further and the championship battle took yet another blow, as Pedrosa was taken out in the first few bends by the front wheel of Pramac Racings’ Héctor Barberá, as the Repsol rider was making his way up the field. Afterwards, an apologetic Barberá cited missing his braking marker as the reason he locked up his front wheel, causing him to slide into Pedrosa. At the front it was Lorenzo who had made the best start, followed by a valiant Valentino Rossi on board his Ducati, and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl. It was a crash-strewn affair from the beginning as Abraham, Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow all tumbled out in the opening laps. Crutchlow’s teammate Dovizioso was sticking to Bradl, as San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista took Yamaha’s Ben Spies for fifth. With 19 laps remaining Lorenzo had pulled out a lead over Rossi, who was working tirelessly to keep Bradl at bay. With 12 laps to go Bautista had caught up to the rear wheel of Dovizioso and was looking for a way through. After stalking him for over half the lap he made his way through into fourth to chase Bradl, whom he caught up with two laps later. Bautista looked like a man possessed as he then pushed his way past the German into the final podium spot. Behind the Spaniard, Bradl, Dovizioso and Spies were all closing in with seven laps to go to battle it out for third spot. With three laps to go Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró was forced to retire from the race, as Dovizioso and Spies had made their was past Bradl. And it was Dovizioso who provided the nail-bighting finish, tussling with Bautista until the bitter end. Yet it was Lorenzo who finally took the chequered flag with an ecstatic Rossi in second and Bautista recording his first ever MotoGP podium in third after a photo finish with Dovizioso. Lorenzo’s sixth victory leaves him 38-points clear at the top of the championship, while Rossi’s podium was his best finish on a Ducati in the dry. Behind Dovizioso in fifth was Spies, ahead of Bradl and Ducati’s Nicky Hayden. Repsol Honda’s Rea did well to finish eighth in his first GP race, ahead of Espargaró’s teammate Randy De Puniet and San Carlo’s Michele Pirro. Moto2™ It was Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez who recorded an emphatic win in a shortened re-started race at the Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera de Rimini in Misano in front of Pol Espargaró and Andrea Iannone. Following a restart due to an oil-spill by Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Gino Rea, the Moto2™ grid set off for 14 laps with Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone on pole ahead of Márquez and Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró, the order in which the race initially stopped after three laps. With fresh tyres on this shortened stint riders were able to push hard from the start. Iannone made good use of his pole as he led into the first bend ahead of Márquez, and Espargaró’s teammate Esteve Rabat. Two laps in Márquez had a wobble coming on the home straight, letting Rabat and Espargaró through. Espargaró soon took advantage to nip into second and pursue the Italian leader, who was pulling out a gap. In the meantime, Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi and Marc VDS Racing Team duo of Mika Kallio and Scott Redding were closing in on Márquez. However, the championship leader fought back, and took Rabat for third to pursue his main rivals. Further back, JiR Moto2’s Johann Zarco muscled his way past Redding, who had overtaken the Frenchman shortly before. On the same lap, QMMF Racing’s Elena Rosell crashed out of the race, as did Tech 3 Racing’s Xavier Siméon. Within a further lap, Came IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi and NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Yuki Takahashi also put their bikes into the gravel. With four laps remaining Espargaró and Márquez had caught up to the rear wheel of Iannone, as the three commenced an enthralling fight for the lead. And it was Espargaró who pounced first to lead the trio, with Márquez also squeezing past the Italian into second. In an edge-of-your-seat last lap it was Márquez who prevailed after some tough passing between the Spanish pair, ultimately holding his nerve to cross the finish line first, with Espargaró and Iannone completing the podium. Márquez’s seventh win of the season puts him 53 points clear at the top of the championship. Fourth place went to Kallio, followed by Rabat, Technomag-CIP’s Dominique Aegerter, Redding, Tech 3’s Bradley Smith, Lüthi and Zarco. Moto3™ In a nail-bighting Moto3™ race at the Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera de Rimini it was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese who stormed to a thrilling victory ahead of Luis Salom and Romano Fenati. Cortese got the holeshot into turn one as drama unfolded at the back of the grid, as Mahindra Racing’s Danny Webb, Elle 2-Ciati’s Kevin Calia, Technomag-CIP-TSR’s Alan Techer and Ambrogio Next Racing’s Giulian Pedone all crashed out. Moto FGR’s Jasper Iwema suffered a similar fate on the next lap as the Dutchman also slid out of the race. Back on track, Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati was valiantly pushing his way up the field, taking the lead off Cortese. The frantic start to the race however continued further afield as IodaRacing Project’s Luigi Morciano, Team Imperiali Racing’s Stefano Valtulini and Pedone’s teammate Alex Márquez also crashed out. A few laps on and the race had not settled down with Cortese and Fenati swapping the lead frequently up front, pursued by RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom, San Carlo Gresini Moto3’s Niccolò Antonelli and Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Miguel Oliveira. With 13 laps remaining Fenati and Cortese had pulled out a small gap over the pursuing group, with Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales making his way through the pack. A few laps later the situation changed with Salom and the followers closing right up to the battling duo up front, with Fenati and Cortese looking to be slowing. With three laps left Cortese made his move on Fenati as the Italian was pushed back to fifth by Oliveira’s teammate Alex Rins, Salom and Viñales. The final laps were the usual battling Moto3 affair as Cortese tried to pull away at the front in the five-man fight. Viñales tried with a last stab up the inside to take the lead but ran wide, with Salom and Fenati taking advantage. It was ultimately Cortese who took the chequered flag in front of Salom and Fenati. His third victory of the season now gives the German a 46 point lead at the top of the championship table over Viñales. Rins finished fourth after aggressively pushing Viñales wide in the last turn, with the Blusens rider finishing fifth. Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3’s Jonas Folger was sixth, ahead of JHK t-shirt Laglisse’s Efrén Vázquez, Antonelli, Oliveira and Red Bull’s Arthur Sissis. More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: DETERMINED BRADL TAKES 6th PLACE IN MISANO AFTER A FRONT-FIGHT RACE Misano, 16th September: LCR rider Stefan Bradl put in a great performance riding his RC213V at San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Gran Prix holding the third place for the majority of the 27-lap race and after the chequered flag the 22-year Bavarian rider celebrated his 100th GP with a final 6th place. Yesterday’s Bradl’s performance once again proved how much the young German has learned in the first two thirds of his rookie MotoGP season. As fast and smooth as ever, the reigning Moto2 champion was ready to achieve his first premier class podium but struggled a bit with the front towards the last laps and managed to finish 6th after an excellent race. Stefan: “First of all it was a strange beginning of the race with two starts”¦ after that, since the beginning, I was not fully confident with my front tyre and throughout the race it became worse and worse. Then in the last laps I even felt something wrong in the front but do not know what happened exactly and must check the data with the technicians. Once I arrived at the garage we noticed that I had very low front tyre pressure and we are going to investigate later. In those conditions I was not capable to stop the bike on braking so I was losing the position. It’s very frustarting because we were in a good shape and I could gain my first MotoGP podium but I have to take the positive aspect of the weekend. We are capable to stay up in the pack and we will try our best in Aragon. I want to thank the whole Team because this race was very busy for them and once again they made an excellent job”. More, from a press release issued by Ducati: Exciting podium for Rossi at Misano, Hayden seventh despite pain On an event-filled day at the GP di San Marino e Riviera di Rimini, Valentino Rossi had his best race so far aboard the Desmosedici. In sunny and warm conditions, the Italian made it to the second step of the podium, having ridden at a pace that was second only to that of the winner, Jorge Lorenzo. The first start was cancelled, but Rossi enjoyed a great getaway when the red lights went out for the second time, and he exited the first turn in second place. From there, he held off attacks from first Stefan Bradl and then Alvaro Bautista before taking the chequered flag. His teammate Nicky Hayden rounded out the Ducati Team’s positive day, finishing seventh despite riding with a right hand that was still swollen and painful. Tomorrow he and the team will decide together whether he’ll take part in the Ducati Team test that will take place with Valentino Rossi on the same Misano circuit. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 2nd “It was a really nice race, and I’m very happy. It’s a great result, which I’d like to dedicate to Sic and his family, Paolo, Rossella, and Martina. I’d also like to thank all the guys who work with me and everyone at Ducati Corse who are giving their best, like me: after two difficult years, we really needed that. I’m very pleased because we did a dry race at a high level, always with a fast pace, and with a limited gap to Lorenzo. We worked well. The new frame and swingarm allow us to make more changes to the geometry, and in fact here the feeling with the front was improved and the bike also seemed to be better balanced on acceleration. The setup that we found was also good, as I managed to be fast and consistent for the whole race. It will be important to continue working well and do our best to take the Ducati as high as possible in the next races as well.” Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) 7th “I felt bad enough this morning that we considered not racing, but being here in Italy, I wanted to at least try. This track seems to provide a lot of drama, and I thought if I could just stay clean and get to the finish, I might salvage somewhat of a result. I knew it was going to be extremely difficult. Unless you’ve ever used carbon brakes with a Bridgestone front tyre, you don’t realize how hard you can squeeze the lever on a MotoGP bike now, and a couple of laps, I had to slow down to try to let my hand recover. It wasn’t very strong, and it was really painful, but I was able to hang on and get a seventh today. Hopefully I can start building up for the rest of the season. It’s great to see Vale on the podium, and it’s a well-deserved reward for all the effort by Filippo, his staff, the team, and the factory.” Vittoriano Guareschi, Team Manager “We’re very happy because we worked well, both two weeks ago in the test and with the bike’s setup over the race weekend, and we managed to put Valentino in a position where he could get a good result. Vale was able to perform to his potential in the dry, and to manage the race well to the finish. We needed confirmation on this new chassis in a confrontation with the other riders, and we got that today. Nicky did the best that he could in his condition. His hand certainly isn’t completely mended, and he had to receive pain-killing injections in order to race. Anyway, it was very important for him to return after four weeks off, and depending on how he feels tomorrow, we’ll see if he’ll be able to ride with Valentino in the test.” More, from a press release issued by NGM Mobile Forward Racing: Best result of the season for Edwards at Misano Colin Edwards overcomes a very complicated situation during the Misano GP starting the race from the 20th place and finishing it in 11th, also as his best result so far this season. The weekend was a complicated one especially due to the bad weather conditions. The NGM Mobile Forward Racing Team faced the challenge and worked with the little time they had available to find the right setting for the bike that the American rider has described as being the best of the season yet. Thanks to the 5 points from today´s race, Edwards remains close to Pirro in the season standing (-2) and closes the “gap” with Yonny Hernandez. Colin Edwards 11th place “It hasn’t been the best of weekends with no dry time and brand new electronic system to sort out in one session, kind of the same as Brno. Started the race and had no idea how it was going to work or if it was going to work, and just like in Brno, it took about 2 laps for me to figure it out and get comfortable. The way they are now are really allow for a weight shift on to the rear and this is where all of the time came from. It felt good, this is the best its been all year, I felt like I could actually push. I obviously passed a few guys this race, I felt like I could battle. The bike still ahs its issues, overall today it was good. Thanks to all my guys, they worked their asses off to try to figure this thing out with very little track time, so thank you to them.” Sergio Verbena Crew Chief “Today we are satisfied with the race result. We have finally managed to set the adequate electronic strategy. With only two dry sessions to work on it was not an easy task. Colin was happy with both the electronics and the setting of the bike. All through out the race our lap times were like the ones done by the top CRT bike and at only two seconds away from Lorenzo. This is a turning point for us and a new beginning for the rest of the season.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Lorenzo leads from start to finish for Misano victory Round 13: San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix Race Misano, Sunday 16 September 2012 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium, Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative) Weather: Dry. Ambient 25-25°C; Track 35-35°C (Bridgestone measurement) Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo scored a dominant victory in a dramatic San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix today ahead of Ducati’s Valentino Rossi and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. The start of the race was interrupted, resulting in the race having to be restarted and reduced in distance by one lap. A technical problem for Dani Pedrosa meant he had to restart from the back of the grid and the Repsol Honda rider suffered further bad luck after being involved in an incident on the first lap that saw him crash out of the race. With his main rival out of the contest, Lorenzo took control at the front of the field and eventually won the race by 4.398 seconds from Rossi in second place, while Bautista claimed third by a meagre 0.003 seconds over the fast-finishing Andrea Dovizioso on the Monster Yamaha Tech3 M1. Power Electronics Aspar’s Randy de Puniet was the top placed CRT rider in ninth place. Weather conditions for the race were fine and warm with a peak track temperature of 35°C and as was the case in qualifying yesterday, the combination of the softer rear and harder front slicks was the preferred tyre choice for the race, with every rider on the grid utilising this arrangement. Lorenzo’s sixth win of the season coupled with Pedrosa’s DNF sees his championship lead swell to thirty-eight points. Pedrosa remains in second place in the championship table ahead of teammate Casey Stoner who is still recovering from injury. Kyota Futami General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Congratulations to Jorge and Yamaha for their dominant win today, but all three riders that made the podium today put in brilliant performances. It was great for the Italian fans to see Valentino achieve his best result in dry conditions on the Ducati, and Alvaro’s first MotoGP podium was also a fitting tribute for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team at a circuit that was renamed to honour Marco Simoncelli. It was pleasing to have such a memorable race to commemorate Bridgestone sharing in its one-hundredth MotoGP victory and I’d like to thank the all the teams and riders, Dorna, IRTA and the FIM, and of course the legions of MotoGP fans, for all the support they’ve given Bridgestone since we joined the premier class of Grand Prix racing in 2002.” Masao Azuma Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Track conditions today were at the best level of the entire race weekend as there was no overnight rain and the ambient temperatures were higher than yesterday. Every rider on the grid selected the same tyre combination of the softer rear slick paired with the harder front, which was not surprising as this was widely used in yesterday’s qualifying session which took place in similar weather conditions. Overall, tyre performance for the race was positive as the softer rear provided consistent grip levels over the race for both the works and CRT bikes and worked well in conjunction with the harder front option.” Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing Race winner “Well to be honest we’ve been really lucky today as without the problem with the lights at the beginning of the race, maybe Dani wouldn’t have crashed. I almost crashed myself in the first corner on the third lap, but somehow I saved it and after that it was hard to keep concentration as I saw Valentino was quite fast in the middle of the race. This was an important race to win and it was a fantastic result for the championship.”