Japan 2009
THIS WAS A RAIN-AFFECTED WEEKEND THAT RESULTED IN QUALIFYING BEING CANCELLED AND GRID POSITIONS BEING DETERMINED BY THE LAST FREE PRACTICE TIMES. THIS ALLOWED VALENTINO ROSSI ONTO POLE POSITION WITH CASEY STONER 2ND, JORGE LORENZO 3RD.
A HECTIC FIRST LAP SAW ROSSI MAKE A GREAT START, STONER A POOR ONE AND DANI PEDROSA A BRILLIANT ONE FROM 11TH ON THE GRID. UNFORTUNATELY, NICKY HAYDEN WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY AN OVER-EXUBERANT YUKI TAKAHASHI, EXCITED IN HIS HOME RACE, AND BOTH RETIRED ON THE OPENING LAP. NICKY DESPERATELY NEEDS TIME ON THE BIKE AND THIS COULDN'T HELP ALTHOUGH, THANKFULLY HE DID NOT SUFFER ANY LASTING INJURY.
VALENTINO PULLED AWAY FROM DANI AND JORGE OVER THE EARLY PART OF THE RACE BUT YOU COULD SENSE THAT LORENZO WAS COMING. SURE ENOUGH, HE GOT PAST ROSSI AND WAS NEVER HEADED AGAIN ALTHOUGH THE ITALIAN STARTED TO CLAW BACK SOME TIME BEFORE THE RACE END. FOR A TIME, DANI THREATENED VALENTINO'S SECOND POSITION BUT COULD NEVER QUITE MAKE IT PAST. HOWEVER, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE DANI RACING AT THE FRONT AGAIN AFTER ALL HIS INJURY WOES.
CASEY STONER NEVER RECOVERED FROM HIS POOR START, DESPITE CLEARLY TRYING HARD - PERHAPS TOO HARD - BUT CAME ON STRONG TOWARDS THE END TO PICK UP 4TH.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 2.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 3.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 4.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 5.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 6.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 7.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 8.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 9.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 10.
|
James Toseland
|
| 11.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 12.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 13.
|
Yuki Takahashi
|
| 14.
|
Sete Gibernau
|
| 15.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 16.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 17.
|
Mika Kallio
|
| 18.
|
Niccolo Canepa
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 4.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 5.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 6.
|
Marco Melandri
|
| 7.
|
Loris Capirossi
|
| 8.
|
Mika Kallio
|
| 9.
|
James Toseland
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
41
|
| Valentino Rossi
|
40
|
| Casey Stoner
|
38
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
22
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
21
|
| Colin Edwards
|
17
|
| Mika Kallio
|
16
|
| Chris Vermeulen
|
15
|
| Alex de Angelis
|
13
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
45
|
| Ducati
|
38
|
| Honda
|
27
|
| Suzuki
|
18
|
| Kawasaki
|
12
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
27th April 2009
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