Lorenzo turns up heat on Stoner with victory

AFP/Montmelo, Spain

Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo extended his lead in the overall standings yesterday as he won his second successive race, the Catalunya MotoGP. The Yamaha-riding 2010 world champion came home clear of compatriot Dani Pedrosa on a Honda while Andrea Dovizioso, on a Yamaha, edged world champion Casey Stoner for third. Lorenzo, 25, was winning his third race of the season and 20th MotoGP, having taken the opener in Qatar and then added the French race last time and holds a 20 point lead over Stoner heading into the British MotoGp in a fortnight. “It was a very tough race, very complicated,” said Lorenzo, who stopped off halfway through his victory lap and let off a bizarre puffball-type explosion out of a pot of paint. “Dani and Ben (Spies) were so close and it would have been very easy to hit them and crash. However, later I just waited for Dani to make a mistake and he duly coughed one up.” Pedrosa was disappointed at missing out on victory, which would have been his first of the campaign. “I had some issues at the end of the race,” said the 26-year-old. “I wanted to give Lorenzo a real tussle but in the end he was just too fast. I am disappointed because I really wanted to win this race.” Dovizioso for his part was ecstatic for taking his first podium spot for Yamaha and having largely been out-performed by team-mare Cal Crutchlow this season. “The end was really difficult, I had absolutely no grip,” said the 26-year-old Italian. “I am really happy with the result. The bike was as fast as the leading riders ones and all we need is a bit of fine-tuning to compete with them regularly.” Pedrosa got a terrific start bursting past those in front of him on the grid including Crutchlow and the two riders on the front row, Lorenzo and Stoner. Pedrosa was closely followed by Ben Spies on a Yamaha as Lorenzo dropped back to third and Stoner in fifth. Spies looked to have rediscovered some of his great form from last year as he pressured Pedrosa going into a corner on the second lap and the American duly passed the Spaniard but disaster struck as he went too wide and slid into the gravel. It will have done nothing to advance the American’s case with Yamaha where he has come under increasing pressure after a series of poor results this campaign. Pedrosa carried on in front until Lorenzo swooped with 19 laps remaining to pass him and unlike his Yamaha team-mate did not make an error on taking the lead — Stoner along with his Honda team-mate had been the only riders to opt for hard tyres but unlike Pedrosa he was struggling and was trailing in fourth. Stoner was two seconds adrift of the front three - Dovizioso was in third - with 17 laps remaining but making no inroads into their lead. Pedrosa and Lorenzo were having a thrilling battle up front with the lead changing hands on several occasions, the former moving back into the lead with 14 laps to go. Lorenzo had a wobbly moment going into the following lap as going wide into the first corner his bike slid and the Spaniard was at pains to correct it and get going again, but having lost valuable time on his compatriot. Lorenzo, though, rediscovered his rhythm and within five laps had regained all the ground he had lost on Pedrosa and was right up on the Honda rider’s shoulder. Lorenzo was probing the whole time at his rival and was repelled on several occasions before he finally got the better of him with six laps remaining and from then on he cruised to victory as Pedrosa eased off.