Stoner tops Spanish duo in Qatar

From motogp.com

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) had a titanic tussle with his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar on Sunday, in the first round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship to snatch 25 points on his debut ride with Repsol Honda.

Stoner finished 3.440 seconds ahead of second placed Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing).

"After a great pre-season, we came into this race weekend and everything kept getting better and better for us," Stoner said. "This morning in warm up we had a few issues getting a good feeling with the bike, carrying a full tank of fuel and this issue also affected us in the early part of the race. We knew though as the fuel level decreased and the tires aged, that our bike would come back to us.

"Dani came past and we decided to follow to see where he was strong and where I was weak. Then when I started to feel more confident with the bike and had more grip and better turning, we decided to push forwards and take advantage. Tonight the bike was fantastic, as it has been for all the sessions and I'm very proud to be racing for Repsol Honda and to take my first victory in the first race."

It had been eight years since a Honda rider won the opening round of the MotoGP season, the last rider to do so was Valentino Rossi in 2003 at Suzuka. Stoner has an impressive record at the Losail International Circuit after winning here in 2008 and 2009. The Australian claimed his 31st win of his career here and his 24th in MotoGP.

The 22-lap race was run in the best conditions of the weekend with fairly high temperatures and without the strong winds that had been feared. It produced a thrilling race with close encounters throughout the pack.

Pedrosa took the lead from the start of the race and then it was the reigning World Champion, Lorenzo who took up the mantle as race leader. What followed was fierce between the two Spaniards and Stoner, with the Repsol Hondas eventually pulling an advantage.

Stoner and Pedrosa swapped position for the lead on several occasions and at the midway point the polesitter increased his pace and set off for the chequered flag. This left the two championship rivals from 2010 dueling it out for second place and it was the Yamaha rider who picked up the 20 points.

“I think maybe I am more proud of that podium than a race victory, that’s how I feel tonight," Lorenzo said. "I feel very proud of myself and my team, who never gave up and worked to give me the best bike that they can.

"I put everything I have inside into my riding on the track for the race. From the start to the end, I was on the limit every lap. I almost crashed on one corner but I managed to stay on the bike and finished in second position which is the best that I could do.”

After the race Pedrosa complained of pain in his left arm.

"I'm disappointed, not for the race I had, but for the physical problems I had again with my left arm," he admitted. "Already in practice I felt something, but I was not sure if it could be that bad. At the end I couldn't grab the handlebar and in the last 7-8 laps I couldn't use the clutch at all. I was just holding the arm and I was suffering a lot.

"The bike was perfect all race, I had the chance to win but I had a very hard time, one of the toughest races of my life. I don't know what I can do because I should be OK after the rest I had this winter. I did the tests and everything was in order. I feel sorry for my team as well, because the bike was very good, fast, perfect also in the corners."

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) were involved in a close battle for fourth place throughout the race and it was the Repsol Honda who took the first position off the podium. Dovizioso finished 5.942 behind Stoner.

There was much anticipation surrounding the debut of Valentino Rossi with the Ducati Team. The Italian finished seventh after racing Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing), after swapping places with the American. The Yamaha got the advantage over the Ducati to take sixth place.

Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was eighth, with Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) and Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) completing the top 10.

Cal Crutchlow (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) managed to take 11th place on the last lap ahead of Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Team).

GP debutant Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) was the final rider to pass the chequered flag and earned himself three points, with just 13 riders finishing the first race of the season.

It was not the MotoGP return that Toni Elías (LCR Honda) had been hoping for. After languishing in 14th place at the back, he suffered a strange crash towards the end of the race which cost him two points.

It was a nightmare start for the Pramac Racing team after Randy de Puniet had a nasty highside on lap one. His team-mate Loris Capirossi was hit by the Frenchman’s bike, crushing his hand and therefore had to retire from the race.

The riders observed a one minutes silence in honour of the victims of the Japan earthquake ahead of the MotoGP race.

Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) roared to the second Moto2 win of his career, after starting from his first pole position. The German rider led from the start of the race and eventually won by a large margin of 4.330 seconds.

Andrea Iannone (Speed Master) grabbed the second spot on the rostrum and gained his 14th podium of his career. After starting down in 16th place, the Italian clawed his way up to ninth place at the end of lap one and was up to second place by lap nine.

Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2) finished third after equalling his best ever qualifying starting from third position. Yuki Takahashi (Gresini Racing) was overtaken by Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) on the last lap and dropped to fifth place.

Nicolas Terol took the top spot in the 125cc season opener at the Losail International Circuit. The Bankia Aspar rider won the race here in Qatar in 2010 and his victory in the 2011 opening round takes his victory tally to six in this class. Terol was never headed from the start and made an early getaway, winning by a large margin of 7.710.

The fight for the podium was hotly contested amongst a group of four riders, but it was Sandro Cortese (Intact Racing Team Germany), making his 100th Grand Prix start, who clinched second place. The the final podium position went to the experienced rider Sergio Gadea (PEV-Blusens-SMX Paris Hilton) who won the first ever Qatar Grand Prix back in 2008. He edged out Efrén Vázquez (Ajo Motorsport) and Jonas Folger (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport).

MotoGP Race Results
1. Casey STONER (AUS) Repsol Honda Team 42:38.569
2. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing +3.440
3. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +5.051
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team +5.942
5. Marco SIMONCELLI (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini +7.358
6. Ben SPIES (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +10.468
7. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Ducati Team +16.431
8. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +26.293
9. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Team +27.416
10. Hiroshi AOYAMA (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini +28.920
11. Cal CRUTCHLOW (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +34.539
12. Hector BARBERA (SPA) Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP Ducati +34.829
13. Karel ABRAHAM (CZE) Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati +37.957
Not Classified
Toni ELIAS (SPA) LCR Honda MotoGP
Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Pramac Racing Team Ducati
Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) Pramac Racing Team Ducati

MotoGP Point Standings
1. Casey STONER (Honda) 25
2. Jorge LORENZO (Yamaha) 20
3. Dani PEDROSA (Honda) 16
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 13
5. Marco SIMONCELLI (Honda) 11
6. Ben SPIES (Yamaha) 10
7. Valentino ROSSI (Ducati) 9
8. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 8
9. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati) 7
10. Hiroshi AOYAMA (Honda) 6
11. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Yamaha) 5
12. Hector BARBERA (Ducati) 4
13. Karel ABRAHAM (Ducati) 3