The US Grand Prix turned into a one-man show Sunday, and the star was an unlikely winner—Dani Pedrosa of Spain.
Pedrosa led from first lap to last on his Honda for his first MotoGP victory of the year, holding off Italy’s Valentino Rossi on a dramatic final lap.
Pedrosa’s winning time was 44 minutes, 01.580 seconds for 32 laps on the 3.61-kilometre track.
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“It’s been a long, tough year for me. I’m happy to be back and win a race,” Pedrosa said.
Pedrosa jumped into the lead on the first lap despite starting fourth on the grid and gradually built his lead to three seconds halfway through the race. He maintained that lead until the final lap, when Rossi nearly overtook him on the final turn.
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“Perhaps the only mistake was on the last lap when I was too slow,” Pedrosa said. “I thought I had more of an advantage.” AFP
Rossi ended 0.344 seconds behind Pedrosa, with Lorenzo 1.582 off the winning pace. Ducati’s Casey Stoner was fourth.
The Yamaha pair battled with each other for second place for most of the race after Pedrosa got in front early to complete the challenging course in 44 minute 01.580 seconds.
“It was a risky place and I was not close enough to Dani to try. I came down the hill on the last lap like a crazy man and I arrived behind him but it was too risky, there was a risk to touch Dani or go wide together.”
“In the end, second place and 20 points is important,” said Rossi, the pre-race favourite.” Guardian.co.uk
Lorenzo, the 2008 MotoGP rookie of the year, made a great save when he bobbled in the hairpin Turn 11 as he passed Rossi, his Fiat Yamaha teammate, on Lap 28. But that bobble enabled Rossi to pass Lorenzo, and the two finished 2-3.
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Pedrosa slowed a bit in the final laps, and Rossi closed in right behind him in the final turn. But Pedrosa pulled away on the final straight to beat the defending champion by 0.344 seconds.
“The first half of the race was quite difficult because we weren’t at 100 percent today,” said Rossi, who increased his season lead to nine points (151-142) over Lorenzo. San Jose Mercury News
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