France 2009
THIS WAS DECLARED TO BE A WET RACE AT THE START BUT THE TRACK WAS NOT VERY WET AND LOOKED AS IF IT WOULD DRY OUT FAIRLY QUICKLY IF THE LIGHT RAIN EASED OFF. EVERYONE APPEARED TO START ON WET TYRES WITH THEIR SECOND BIKES SET UP WITH DRY TYRES JUST IN CASE.
AS WITH ALL THESE SITUATIONS, IT MAKES FOR EXCITING, IF CONFUSING, RACING AND CHOOSING THE RIGHT TIME TO SWITCH BIKES MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING. DANI PEDROSA GOT HIS USUAL BRILLIANT START BUT WAS SOON OVERTAKEN BY JORGE LORENZO. CASEY STONER AND VALENTINO ROSSI WERE ALSO IN THE MIX EARLY ON. IT WASN'T LONG THOUGH BEFORE THE FIRST SWITCH TO DRY TYRES - VALENTINO. DANI FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE PITS AS DID THE REJUVENATED MARCO MELANDRI.
THEY SOON FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY! VALENTINO CRASHED OUT VERY SOON AFTER LEAVING THE PITS, DANI AND MARCO WERE ABLE TO BE MORE CIRCUMSPECT AND SURVIVED ALTHOUGH WITH DREADFULLY SLOW 'OUT' LAPS. MEANWHILE, JORGE CONTINUED MERRILY ON HIS WAY ON THE WET TYRES EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ALMOST A COMPLETE DRY LINE. I THINK IT WAS THE 'ALMOST' THAT CONVINCED HIM TO STAY OUT UNTIL THE DRY-SHOD RUNNERS WERE STARTING TO PUT IN FASTER LAPS.
HE JUDGED THE 'PIT-STOP' TO PERFECTION AND ACTUALLY CAME BACK OUT STILL IN THE LEAD! AND THAT WAS THAT! MARCO CAME IN A SUPERB 2ND AND DANI PEDROSA RODE A SCINTILLATING LAST FEW LAPS TO OVERTAKE HIS TEAM-MATE, ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, IN THE FINAL FEW BENDS OF THE FINAL LAP AND FINISH 3RD.
JORGE ALSO TOOK THE LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH IS NOW VERY EQUALLY POISED WITH ONLY 1 POINT COVERING THE TOP THREE.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 3.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 4.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 5.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 6.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 7.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 8.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 9.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 10.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 11.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 12.
|
James Toseland
|
| 13.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 14.
|
Mika Kallio
|
| 15.
|
Yuki Takahashi
|
| 16.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 17.
|
Niccolo Canepa
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 2.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 3.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 4.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 5.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 6.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 7.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 8.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 9.
|
James Toseland
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
66
|
| Valentino Rossi
|
65
|
| =Casey Stoner
|
65
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
57
|
| Marco Melandri
|
43
|
| =Andrea Dovizioso
|
43
|
| Colin Edwards
|
35
|
| Chris Vermeulen
|
21
|
| Loris Capirossi
|
27
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
95
|
| Ducati
|
65
|
| Honda
|
63
|
| Kawasaki
|
43
|
| Suzuki
|
38
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
18th May 2009
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