Italy 2010
WHILST THE RACE ITSELF WAS INTERESTING, IT WAS OVER-SHADOWED BY AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING VALENTINO ROSSI DURING THE MORNING FP2 SESSION ON SATURDAY. THE REAR TYRE SUDDENLY LOST GRIP IN A DOWNHILL S-BEND AT 115 MPH, FLINGING HIM OFF AND THE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND PRODUCED A COMPOUND FRACTURE OF HIS RIGHT TIBIA (SHIN BONE).
HE HAD LED THE FP1 SESSION THE PREVIOUS DAY BY A CONSIDERABLE MARGIN - WHETHER HE BECAME A LITTLE OVER-CONFIDENT IN HIS AND HIS MACHINE'S ABILITIES AT HIS HOME GP, WHO KNOWS, BUT ONE THING WAS CERTAIN - HE WOULD MISS QUALIFYING, THE RACE ITSELF AND MANY MORE THIS SEASON. THIS INJURY IS NOT ONE FROM WHICH RECOVERY IS QUICK AND EASY - ASK MARK WEBBER THE FORMULA ONE DRIVER WHO SUFFERED A SIMILAR INJURY IN A COLLISION BETWEEN HIM, ON HIS MOUNTAIN BIKE, AND A VEHICLE.
THE ACCIDENT BROUGHT TO AN END ROSSI'S RECORD OF 230 SUCCESSIVE GP STARTS SINCE HIS 125cc DEBUT AT THE MALAYSIAN GP IN 1996. I KNOW THAT MOTOR CYCLE RACING IS MUCH SAFER IN MODERN TIMES BUT, NEVERTHELESS, CRASHES ARE COMMON AND INJURIES CAN NOT BE AVOIDED AND TO RACE FOR 14 YEARS WITHOUT MISSING A RACE WAS QUITE REMARKABLE.
IRONICALLY, THE MEDICAL HELICOPTER THAT TRANSPORTED HIM TO HOSPITAL FOR SURGERY WAS PAINTED YELLOW. I COULD NOT SEE A NUMBER 46 ANYWHERE ON IT, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW!
THE RACE WAS DOMINATED BY DANI PEDROSA WHOSE ELECTRIC START TOOK HIM INTO THE LEAD STRAIGHT AWAY AND GRADUALLY THIS INCREASED LAP BY LAP, REACHING A MAXIMUM FOR MANY LAPS OF 7 SECONDS AND AT THE LINE IT HAD REDUCED TO 4 SECONDS AS HE EASED OFF OVER THE LAST FEW LAPS.
JORGE LORENZO STAYED IN SECOND PLACE FROM EARLY ON, DESPITE THE ATTENTIONS OF DANI'S TEAM-MATE, ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, AND THESE THREE FORMED THE PODIUM. CASEY STONER WAS IN A CONSTANT BATTLE WITH TWO PRIVATEER RIDERS, MARCO MELANDRI AND RANDY DE PUNIET, BUT MANAGED TO FINISH 4TH FOR SOME WELCOME POINTS. HIS TEAM-MATE, NICKY HAYDEN, CRASHED OUT AFTER A FEW LAPS - THE LATEST VICTIM OF THE DUCATI'S FRONT SUSPENSION WEAKNESS THAT IS AFFLICTING ALL THE DUCATIS, FACTORY AND PRIVATEER.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 3.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 4.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 7.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 8.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 9.
|
Aleix Espargaro
|
| 10.
|
Hiroshi Aoyama
|
| 11.
|
Marco Simoncelli
|
| 12.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 13.
|
Hector Barbera
|
| 14.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 15.
|
Mika Kallio
|
| 16.
|
Alvaro Bautista
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 3.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 4.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 5.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 6.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 7.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 8.
|
Aleix Espargaro
|
| 9.
|
Marco Simoncelli
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
90
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
65
|
| Valentino Rossi
|
61
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
58
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
39
|
| Randy de Puniet
|
36
|
| Marco Melandri
|
32
|
| Casey Stoner
|
24
|
| Marco Simoncelli
|
23
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
95
|
| Honda
|
77
|
| Ducati
|
52
|
| Suzuki
|
19
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
7th June 2010
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