Great Britain 2008
AFTER THE TEST DAYS FOLLOWING THE LAST EVENT IN CATALUNYA, DUCATI WERE PLEASED THAT THEIR LATEST DEVELOPMENT WORK ON THE ENGINE HAD BORNE FRUIT AND SO IT PROVED HERE AT DONINGTON PARK IN THE RACE WEEKEND. CASEY STONER WAS BACK RIDING WITH ALL THE ENTHUSIASM AND SPEED THAT MARKED HIS PERFORMANCES LAST YEAR. HE HEADED ALL THE TIME SHEETS FOR THE VARIOUS SESSIONS, INCLUDING THE VITAL WET QUALIFYING SESSION ON SATURDAY, AND WAS NEVER HEADED IN THE RACE TO TAKE HIS FIRST WIN SINCE THE OPENING RACE OF THE SEASON. THE RELIEF SHOWED AS HE ENTERED 'PARC FERMEÉ'.
VALENTINO ROSSI WON A SPIRITED DUEL WITH DANI PEDROSA TO TAKE 2ND PLACE AND INCREASE HIS LEAD OVER THE SPANIARD IN THE TITLE RACE. CASEY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TO CATCH VALENTINO - STARTING 50 POINTS BEHIND, HE REDUCED THAT BY 5 POINTS TO 45 BUT IT WILL TAKE EITHER AN IDENTICAL SERIES OF RESULTS IN THE REMAINING 10 RACES OR SOME NON-FINISHES BY THE ITALIAN FOR CASEY TO TAKE THE LEAD. AND THAT IS WITHOUT FACTORING IN DANI PEDROSA!
JORGE LORENZO SEEMS TO HAVE RETURNED TO FORM AND FITNESS AFTER HIS SERIES OF CRASHES AND TOOK A DESERVED 6TH PLACE FROM 17TH ON THE GRID.
UNFORTUNATELY, JAMES TOSELAND HAD A DISASTROUS WEEKEND AT THIS HIS HOME EVENT. TWO CRASHES IN THE WET QUALIFYING LEFT HIM IN 16TH ON THE GRID AND THEN, IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO CLAW BACK SOME PLACES AT THE START, HE WENT INTO TURN 1 TOO FAST AND CRASHED AGAIN. BUT HE DOGGEDLY PICKED HIMSELF UP AND RODE THE REST OF THE RACE ON A DAMAGED BIKE AND A LAP BEHIND. HE WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS RACE, AFTER RIDING ON UNFAMILIAR TRACKS, THAT I THINK HE TRIED TOO HARD AND, LIKE LEWIS HAMILTON EARLIER IN THE DAY IN FORMULA 1, HE WAS NOT HIMSELF AS A RESULT.
BEN SPIES, THE DOUBLE AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION FOR SUZUKI, STOOD IN FOR THE INJURED LORIS CAPIROSSI AND PERFORMED SUPERBLY GIVEN THAT HE HAD NEVER RIDDEN A MOTOGP BIKE IN A RACE, HAD NEVER RIDDEN AT DONINGTON AND HAD PROBABLY NEVER RIDDEN IN THE WET (WET RACING IN AMERICA IS VIRTUALLY BANNED). HE QUALIFIED 8TH IN THE WET AND FINISHED 14TH IN THE DRY ON SUNDAY.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 4.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 7.
|
Anthony West
|
| 8.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 9.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 10.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 11.
|
John Hopkins
|
| 12.
|
Sylvain Guintoli
|
| 13.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 14.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 15.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 16.
|
James Toseland
|
| 17.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 18.
|
Tony Elias
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 4.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 5.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 6.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 7.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 8.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 9.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Valentino Rossi
|
162
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
151
|
| Casey Stoner
|
117
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
104
|
| Colin Edwards
|
82
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
68
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
57
|
| James Toseland
|
53
|
| Loris Capirossi
|
51
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
180
|
| Honda
|
151
|
| Ducati
|
122
|
| Suzuki
|
71
|
| Kawasaki
|
41
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
23rd June 2008
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