MotoGP News
Suzuka saw the return to the top step of Dani Pedrosa. Clocking up his 50th win, it has been a while since his last victory, despite a raft of podiums. As terrific as it was to see Pedrosa take the win, all eyes were on the battle between Rossi and Lorenzo. Rossi got the jump at the start but Lorenzo was riding superbly on wets and made the pass and headed off to a decent margin before the track started to dry, making tyre degradation a major player in the patchy, damp conditions.
Pedrosa got past Rossi but VR46 hang with him as the pair ate into the struggling Lorenzo’s lead as he suffered lack of grip with a shredded front tyre. It may not have been the most exciting finish – unless you were calculating the points like the calm-headed Rossi, who knew he needed to avoid Lorenzo beating him or even worse, having Pedrosa in between and making the points gap worse. In the end, Rossi looked like the cat that got the cream, extending his points lead to 18.
For Movistar Yamaha, the next three rounds are a dream come true, as with Marquez finishing fourth, the title fight is now down to the exclusive duo from the same team. It is now down to Rossi versus Lorenzo with three rounds remaining. If Lorenzo wins the next three in a row, he needs Rossi to not finish second each time. To lose the lead, Rossi needs at least one third, so expect the Doctor to be assertive as he gets tantalisingly close to that tenth title…
Meanwhile, in Moto2, Johan Zarco can take the foot of the throat of his rivals, or not, as he has secured the World Championship in that class after an epic season that saw him totally dominate the field – and appear relaxed at the same time.
