Netherlands 2008
AS AT DONINGTON PARK, SO IT WAS HERE. NO-ONE COULD TOUCH CASEY STONER AND THE DUCATI ALL WEEK-END. POLE POSITION AND, ALTHOUGH DANI PEDROSA GOT AHEAD AT THE START FOR A LITTLE WHILE, CASEY SOON GOT PAST AND WAS THEN NEVER HEADED. HE WON AS HE LIKED AND WAS NEVER TROUBLED.
DANI PEDROSA, NEVERTHELESS, TOOK THE LEAD IN THE TITLE RACE WITH A FINE SECOND PLACE AND, FOR MUCH OF THE RACE, IT LOOKED LIKE NICKY HAYDEN WOULD FINISH THIRD AND STEP ONTO THE PODIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON. HOWEVER, THE CRUELLEST OF CRUEL LUCK SAW HIM RUN OUT OF FUEL 50 YARDS FROM THE FLAG AND HE WAS OVERTAKEN BY THE CHARGING COLIN EDWARDS.
NICKY WAS THE RECIPIENT OF HONDA'S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY FOR THE NEW PNEUMATIC-VALVE ENGINE. DESIGNED FOR POWER AT THE EXPENSE OF ECONOMY, THE ENGINE, LIKE ALL THE TOP BIKES THESE DAYS, CALCULATES HOW TO MANAGE THE FUEL AND WILL TURN DOWN THE POWER SO THAT THE BIKE GETS TO THE FINISH LINE. WEIGHT IS SUCH A CRITICAL FACTOR WHEN DEALING WITH THE SPLIT-SECONDS THAT DIVIDE RIDERS' LAP TIMES THAT EVEN AN EXTRA CUP-FULL OF FUEL AT THE START WILL SLOW THE RIDER DOWN. THAT MAY BE AN ENGINEER'S ANSWER BUT A RIDER HAS A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY - NICKY'S DISAPPOINTMENT WAS PAINFUL TO SEE.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHERE ANOTHER USUAL INHABITANT OF THE PODIUM HAD DISAPPEARED TO. VALENTINO ROSSI STARTED FROM 3RD ON THE GRID, WAS ALREADY DOWN TO 6TH BY THE FIRST CORNER AND THEN SLID OFF AT TURN 4, TAKING RANDY DE PUNIET WITH HIM. VALENTINO WAS ABLE TO GET THE BIKE UPRIGHT WITH THE MARSHALLS' HELP AND RE-JOINED IN LAST PLACE AND EVENTUALLY FINISHED 11TH, HELPED BY ANOTHER TWO RETIREMENTS BY ALEX DE ANGELIS AND ANTHONY WEST.
SO CASEY WAS ABLE TO CLAW BACK POINTS ON BOTH ROSSI AND PEDROSA WITH THIS DOMINANT DISPLAY.
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 3.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 4.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 5.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 6.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 7.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 8.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 9.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 10.
|
Sylvain Guintoli
|
| 11.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 12.
|
Alex de Angelis
|
| 13.
|
James Toseland
|
| 14.
|
Tony Elias
|
| 15.
|
Anthony West
|
| 16.
|
Marco Melandri
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 2.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 3.
|
Colin Edwards
|
| 4.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 5.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 6.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 7.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
| 8.
|
Shinya Nakano
|
| 9.
|
James Toseland
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Dani Pedrosa
|
171
|
| Valentino Rossi
|
167
|
| Casey Stoner
|
142
|
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
114
|
| Colin Edwards
|
98
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
79
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
70
|
| James Toseland
|
60
|
| Chris Vermeulen
|
57
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
196
|
| Honda
|
171
|
| Ducati
|
147
|
| Suzuki
|
80
|
| Kawasaki
|
41
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
30th June 2008
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