The predicted rain stayed away for the MotoGP
grid as Yamaha’s Ben Spies took the holeshot ahead of Repsol Honda
Team’s Stoner and San Carlo Honda Gresini’s pole-sitter Álvaro Bautista.
Spies made a tremendous start leading the early stages from Stoner,
Bautista and Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden. Lorenzo lost a place in the
first bends, and was soon leading a separated group for fifth place.
With 17 laps remaining Lorenzo started to find his rhythm as he
looked to close the gap to the front four, followed by Monster Yamaha
Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso and Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa. A lap later
Hayden tried to dart past Bautista into third, but ran too wide,
allowing the Spaniard back in. Soon after Stoner made his move past
Spies, as the Texan made a mistake, also going too hot into a turn.
More overtaking was to follow, as Lorenzo took advantage of a gap
left by Hayden to hunt down Bautista. Just seconds after, Hayden left
yet another gap for Dovizioso to push the American even further back.
With Stoner having pulled out a small gap at the front, Lorenzo did not
want his rival to get way and forced his way past Bautista, relegating
the San Carlo rider into fourth.
The tussle was not to stop, as Lorenzo stormed past his teammate into
second, with Spies being overtaken by Bautista as well a corner later.
In the same bend Pedrosa snuck past Dovizioso, who kept on the
Spaniard’s rear wheel to retake him just a few corners later. The
Italian continued his charge as he fought past early leader Spies, with
Pedrosa following suit, relegating the Texan into sixth.
With 11 laps left Lorenzo was closing in on the rear wheel of Stoner,
starting a thrilling battle for top spot. On the same lap Dovizioso
crashed out of his positions, while his teammate Cal Crutchlow fought
past LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl into seventh.
Heading into lap nine, Lorenzo took Stoner on the final turn, yet the
Australian fought straight back in the next turn, as the pair kept the
crowd on their toes with some thrilling moves. As one Repsol Honda was
overtaken, the other in the form of Pedrosa went up into third.
A lap further on, the duo of Pedrosa and Bautista started to slowly
close the gap on Stoner, who looked to be slowing. With six laps left it
turned into a three-way battle for second place, as Lorenzo was opening
a gap at the front. On the same lap, Ducati’s Valentino Rossi, who was
the only rider to pick the hard rear tyre, took Pramac Racing Team’s
Héctor Barberá for ninth. Speed Masters Mattia Pasini retired from the
race with a mechanical issue.
Lorenzo suffered a slight scare with four laps left as he was almost
thrown from his bike, but he managed to save it and retain the lead,
albeit with a reduced gap to the pursuing Stoner. In the latter stages
there were thrilling battles further back as Crutchlow battled past
Hayden into sixth, and Power Electronics Aspar pair Aleix Espargaró and
Randy de Puniet were fairing to fairing until the finish line.
In the end it was Lorenzo who held his nerve to cross the finish line
first to take the top step of the podium and extend his championship
lead, ahead of Stoner and Pedrosa who complete the rostrum. Fourth went
to Álvaro Bautista, ahead of Ben Spies, and Cal Crutchlow, who put in a
brave ride with his injury. The top ten were completed Hayden, Bradl,
Rossi and Barberá. Top CRT spot once again went to Espargaró ahead of
his teammate in 11th, while Dovizioso remounted after his crash to
finish 19th.
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/england+silverstone+motogp+race+lorenzo