Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo used his M1 to deliver victory in front of his home crowd at Jerez. Team mate Ben Spies was denied his first MotoGP podium as a factory rider with just three laps remaining of the race.
Lorenzo wins whilst Spies crashes out
The second race of the 2011 MotoGP Championship was played out on treacherous track conditions that claimed a number of victims over the 27 laps. Slipping comfortably into second in the first lap Lorenzo stayed in contention in the top three for several laps, graduating to first position as rivals Stoner, Rossi and Simoncelli all crashed out of contention. A steady rhythm saw the reigning World Champion take the chequered flag, his first ever professional race career win in the wet.
Spies initially dropped to sixth after starting fourth. However in the latter stages of the race, he gained half a second a lap on second place man Pedrosa. He caught and passed him, raising the possibility of a Yamaha one two on the podium. The Texan’s race was brought to a premature end on turn five, as slippery conditions and worn race tyres caused him to lose the front and slide off the track.
Lorenzo’s victory propels him to the top of the MotoGP Championship standings with a tally of 45 points, nine points clear of Pedrosa in second. Spies heads to the next round in Estoril in four weeks time having dropped to 12th in the standings with ten points and looking to make up for today’s disappointment.
Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing
"It has been one of my most patient races. It’s a great victory, which we needed and I feel so good. This is also the first time I have won in wet conditions, the first time ever! Now we are working to improve our bike, taking as many points as possible on the way. The King of Spain said to me that he would bring me good luck after our meeting last February in Madrid, he was right! With the competition so high this year, I never imagined I would be leader in the championship after two races. I am so happy to have won this weekend!”
Ben Spies, Yamaha Factory Racing
“I didn’t think of it as a race today, it was more a race of attrition. Once we moved into fourth behind Hayden, I knew I could get past so just waited for the right moment. Pedrosa was only a few seconds ahead of me and I thought for sure we could get on the podium. Lorenzo was obviously going to win but I knew we could go one two. I put it all out there and caught Pedrosa. As soon as I passed him I knew that we had second place under control, he wouldn’t be able to get back by, but I needed to not make any mistakes. Every corner after I passed him I slowed down, taking it easy then all of a sudden I was on the floor. Obviously it was my mistake, but looking at the data, I was going slower than I had all race. It was one of those things; I think the tyres were the limiting factor today. I think it was a great show for the crowd though!”
