MotoGP: Lorenzo takes spectacular victory in chaotic dry-wet race at Aragon

Jorge Lorenzo- ”This was my first victory in a long time, so I’m very proud and very happy.”

Sunday, Sep 28th 2014 – Jorge Lorenzo took victory in a chaotic dry-wet race at Aragon, ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Cal Crutchlow on the podium. The race saw drama as Italians Valentino Rossi and Andrea Iannone both suffered big crashes in the dry before Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa went down after the rain began to fall.

Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner-“Today I had one of the best starts in my career, and I was impressed with my pace and feeling in the bike in dry conditions. It was a pity that it started to rain as I felt I could fight for the victory in the dry, but then I saw that Marc and Dani stayed out on track on slicks, so I thought I’d take a risk and pit earlier than them for wet tyres. I then found myself in first position after my first lap on wet tyres, so I just had to keep focused so I wouldn’t crash. This was my first victory in a long time, so I’m very proud and very happy.”

Aleix Espargaro, NGM Forward Racing- 2nd – “It’s my first podium in MotoGP and this is an incredible feeling. We have worked hard throughout the season to get this result and I want to thank the NGM Forward Racing Team and my family that has always supported me. It was a difficult race, made more complicated by Smith who touched me at the beginning of the race, obliging me to recover from the 19th position. When I was sixth, with seven laps to go, I took the risk to be the first rider to enter the pits to change bike, as it was raining a lot. It was a perfect strategy. In the last lap I heard Cal catching me, he touched me on the straight but I could defend my second position. It’s an extraordinary result and I’m going to party till Japan GP!”

Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took victory by over 10 seconds as he judged the conditions better than his rivals, changing bikes with four laps to go, with Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) just beating Crutchlow (Ducati Team) elbowing each other to the line to complete the podium. The riders were forced to change to wet set-ups in the final stages after the rain began to fall heavily – having started the race on a drying track.

The tricky conditions caused Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) to crash out before swapping to his wet bike and he was taken to the medical centre for checks on a hip trauma. Repsol Honda teammates Pedrosa and Marquez took a risk staying out in the wet on slick tyres in the final laps. Pedrosa fell and remounted to take 14th with Marquez crashing later and finishing 13th after eventually swapping to his wet bike too.

The top five was completed by Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) as they took advantage of the crashes ahead of them. Smith just beat his teammate Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) to the line by 0.203s.

The top ten was completed by Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive M7 Aspar), Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar) and Scott Redding (GO&FUN Honda Gresini).

Before the rain had fallen Iannone (Pramac Racing) crashed as he ran wide having led for the opening laps. He looked as though he might stay upright but wet grass sent him skyward. Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had a similar incident, running wide and touching the grass resulting in a vicious highside. He was taken to the medical center but deemed ok, before being taken to hospital for precautionary head scans.

Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) retired with a mechanical problem early in the race.

– Aragon MotoGP™ Top 10 Race Classification