MotoGP Misano: Stunning Pedrosa beats Rossi at home

Dani Pedrosa has become the eighth MotoGP race winner of the season after a resounding victory at Misano.

The Spaniard came from almost nowhere to beat early leader Valentino Rossi in the Italian’s back yard, while polesitter Jorge Lorenzo had to settle for third.

As the lights changed at the start of the race, Lorenzo got his Movistar Yamaha off the line first, leading the pack into the first corner. Maverick Vinales tried to capitalise on his front row start as he tried to pass Rossi into Turn One, but The Doctor was having none of it and held his position.

On the second lap, Marc Marquez made a move past the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso for fourth as Tito Rabat became the first casualty, the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider crashing his Honda at Turn Four.

Moments later things changed at the front as Lorenzo ran a little wide and Rossi pounced, slicing past his team-mate to take the lead, much to the delight of the yellow crowd. Within a lap The Doctor had pulled out a bit of a gap, and Lorenzo looked to be unable to stick with him.

Further back, Marquez’ Repsol Honda was on the move, as he passed Vinales’ Ecstar Suzuki for third, bringing Dovizioso with him. Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda was also on a charge. Having started from the third row in eighth position, the diminutive Spaniard was up to fifth by the start of Lap Five.

Rossi continued to build himself what looked like a comfortable lead at the front, as it became clear Lorenzo was unable to match him and it seemed likely that he would soon be caught by Marquez who was creeping ever closer.

But the man on the move was Pedrosa as he started getting quicker and quicker, setting fastest lap after fastest lap until he caught and passed Marquez on Lap 14. Once up to third it took just another three laps until he had caught and subsequently passed his former arch-enemy to take second.

By now he had Rossi in his sights and quickly reeled in the home town hero. On Lap 22 he made the move, stuffing his Honda inside of the Yamaha and squeezing through. Rossi wasn’t about to give up and tried to come back but was powerless against the Honda.

From here it was plain sailing for the final six laps as Pedrosa started to pull out a bit of a lead. He took a comfortable win with a 2.837s cushion over Rossi, while Lorenzo managed to hold on to finish third.

Pedrosa’s win makes him the eighth different winner this season and is a turning point in the Spaniard’s season, which has so far been his worst on record.

“I’m very happy, personally because it’s been very difficult,” he said. “This weekend the feeling was good except yesterday in qualifying so today I focus on the rhythm, I knew this was the key and then I just try to do my race.

“Fortunately my pace was very consistent so I had some strong points in the track so I used them . This victory is for my fans, my friends, family and also my team and all the people who are around me and supporting me.”

Marquez had no option but to settle for a haul of points for fourth place, while Vinales finished fifth ahead of Dovizioso in sixth. Seventh was wildcard and Ducati stand-in man Michele Pirro who initially led Brit Cal Crutchlow over the line.

But the LCR Honda man’s tough weekend got even worse after he crossed the line eighth and was handed a 1.5s penalty for exceeding track limits. As a result it was Monster Yamaha’s Pol Espargaro who took eighth as Crutchlow was forced to settle for ninth.

And Crutchlow wasn’t the only rider to receive a penalty during the 28 lap race. Maverick Vinales was penalised on Lap 18 for the same crime and had to give up a place to Dovizioso, although it didn’t take him long to steal it back.

Eugene Laverty grabbed himself another points finish as he brought his Pull & Bear Aspar Ducati home in 14th, just one place ahead of Scott Redding on his Octo Pramac Ducati.

Alex Lowes endured a disappointing early exit when he crashed the Monster Yamaha at Turn Two on the eighth lap.