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Montmelo, Spain - Jorge Lorenzo tightened his grip on the MotoGP championship lead when the Spanish Yamaha rider came out on top in a battle with compatriot Dani Pedrosa to win the 2012 Catalunya GP on Sunday.
Under dark skies and with spots of rain falling on the Montmelo track, Lorenzo snatched the lead with just under six laps left and pulled away from Honda's Pedrosa to secure his third victory in five races this season.
STONER FOURTH
Italian Andrea Dovizioso was third for Yamaha, with Pedrosa's Honda team mate and reigning champion Casey Stoner of Australia fourth and Britain's Cal Crutchlow, another Yamaha rider, fifth.
Lorenzo has 115 points after five of 18 races, with Stoner on 95 and Pedrosa on 85.
After planting his signature flag in the gravel in front of his ecstatic fans, Lorenzo told Spanish TV it was "fantastic" to win in front of home support.
"It was a finely balanced race," added the flamboyant 25-year-old, the 2010 MotoGP champion. "I didn't want to do anything crazy as we were riding very close together and there was a danger of colliding and ending up on the ground.
"I had to wait for my chance and, as you saw, I managed to get past him."
Lorenzo's victory extended his lead over Stoner in the standings to 20 points and the Spaniard now has 115 after five of 18 races. Stoner, who said last month he would retire at the end of the 2012 season after "falling out of love with the sport", has 95 and Pedrosa 85.
'TRIED MY HARDEST'
Pedrosa admitted to being "a bit disappointed" by his race, especially after he rocketed from fifth on the grid to lead into the opening corner.
"I thought I would be able to perform better towards the end of the race but I had to settle for second," he told Spanish TV. "I tried my hardest but I found it very hard to control the bike when braking on the final laps."
Provisional result from the 2012 Catalunya MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 43min07.681
2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 43min12.684
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha 43min17.042
4 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 43min17.225
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 43min20.187
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 43min21.629
7 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 43min25.236
8 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 43min31.159
9 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 43min38.091
10 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 43min40.578
11 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 43min43.825
12 Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 44min03.910
13 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 44min15.735
14 Michele Pirro (Italy) Honda 44min16.456
15 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia 44min18.164
MotoGP points standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha - 115
2 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda - 95
3 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda - 85
4 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha - 60
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha - 56
6 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati - 51
7 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda - 45
8 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda - 43
9 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati - 40
10 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati - 31
11 Ben Spies (U.S.) Yamaha - 24
12 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia - 15
13 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia - 7
14 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Aprilia - 6
15 Michele Pirro (Italy) FTR - 6
Moto2 race result
1 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Speed up 41min16.852
2 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 41min16.935
3 Marc Marquez (Spain) Suter 41min17.989
4 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 41min29.368
5 Simone Corsi (Italy) FTR 41min31.078
6 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 41min31.924
7 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 41min33.107
8 Randy Krummenacher (Switzerland) Kalex 41min33.206
9 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex 41min33.458
10 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 41min33.645
11 Johann Zarco (France) Motobi 41min34.150
12 Bradley Smith (Britain) Tech 3 41min39.094
13 Claudio Corti (Italy) Kalex 41min40.615
14 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Suter 41min40.921
15 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter 41min43.891
Moto2 standings
1 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 88
2 Marc Marquez (Spain) Suter 86
3 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Kalex 71
4 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Speed up 71
5 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 50
6 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex 40
7 Claudio Corti (Italy) Kalex 35
8 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 31
9 Johann Zarco (France) Motobi 28
10 Bradley Smith (Britain) Tech 3 28
11 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 23
12 Toni Elias (Spain) Suter 23
13 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 22
14 Simone Corsi (Italy) FTR 19
15 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Suter 16
Moto3 result
1 Maverick Vinales (Spain) Honda 41min50.965
2 Sandro Cortese (Germany) KTM 41min58.717
3 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Honda 41min58.818
4 Louis Rossi (France) Honda 41min58.972
5 Alexis Masbou (France) Honda 41min59.040
6 Alex Marquez (Spain) Oral 41min59.232
7 Hector Faubel (Spain) Kalex 41min59.320
8 Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Malaysia) KTM 41min59.445
9 Romano Fenati (Italy) Honda 41min59.565
10 Luis Salom (Spain) Kalex 42min06.988
11 Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic) Honda 42min07.092
12 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) Honda 42min07.187
13 Alan Techer (France) Honda 42min07.757
14 Alberto Moncayo (Spain) Kalex 42min21.097
15 Jack Miller (Australia) Honda 42min21.097
Moto 3 standings
1 Sandro Cortese (Germany) KTM 87
2 Maverick Vinales (Spain) Honda 80
3 Luis Salom (Spain) Kalex 55
4 Romano Fenati (Italy) Honda 52
5 Louis Rossi (France) Honda 45
6 Alex Rins (Spain) Honda 44
7 Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Malaysia) KTM 37
8 Alberto Moncayo (Spain) Kalex 35
9 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) Honda 35
10 Alexis Masbou (France) Honda 29
11 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Honda 27
12 Hector Faubel (Spain) Kalex 24
13 Arthur Sissis (Australia) KTM 23
14 Alan Techer (France) Honda 18
15 Danny Kent (Britain) KTM 16
Under dark skies and with spots of rain falling on the Montmelo track, Lorenzo snatched the lead with just under six laps left and pulled away from Honda's Pedrosa to secure his third victory in five races this season.
STONER FOURTH
Italian Andrea Dovizioso was third for Yamaha, with Pedrosa's Honda team mate and reigning champion Casey Stoner of Australia fourth and Britain's Cal Crutchlow, another Yamaha rider, fifth.
Lorenzo has 115 points after five of 18 races, with Stoner on 95 and Pedrosa on 85.
After planting his signature flag in the gravel in front of his ecstatic fans, Lorenzo told Spanish TV it was "fantastic" to win in front of home support.
"It was a finely balanced race," added the flamboyant 25-year-old, the 2010 MotoGP champion. "I didn't want to do anything crazy as we were riding very close together and there was a danger of colliding and ending up on the ground.
"I had to wait for my chance and, as you saw, I managed to get past him."
Lorenzo's victory extended his lead over Stoner in the standings to 20 points and the Spaniard now has 115 after five of 18 races. Stoner, who said last month he would retire at the end of the 2012 season after "falling out of love with the sport", has 95 and Pedrosa 85.
'TRIED MY HARDEST'
Pedrosa admitted to being "a bit disappointed" by his race, especially after he rocketed from fifth on the grid to lead into the opening corner.
"I thought I would be able to perform better towards the end of the race but I had to settle for second," he told Spanish TV. "I tried my hardest but I found it very hard to control the bike when braking on the final laps."
Provisional result from the 2012 Catalunya MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 43min07.681
2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 43min12.684
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha 43min17.042
4 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 43min17.225
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 43min20.187
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 43min21.629
7 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 43min25.236
8 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 43min31.159
9 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 43min38.091
10 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 43min40.578
11 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 43min43.825
12 Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 44min03.910
13 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 44min15.735
14 Michele Pirro (Italy) Honda 44min16.456
15 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia 44min18.164
MotoGP points standings
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha - 115
2 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda - 95
3 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda - 85
4 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha - 60
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha - 56
6 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati - 51
7 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda - 45
8 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda - 43
9 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati - 40
10 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati - 31
11 Ben Spies (U.S.) Yamaha - 24
12 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia - 15
13 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia - 7
14 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Aprilia - 6
15 Michele Pirro (Italy) FTR - 6
Moto2 race result
1 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Speed up 41min16.852
2 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 41min16.935
3 Marc Marquez (Spain) Suter 41min17.989
4 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 41min29.368
5 Simone Corsi (Italy) FTR 41min31.078
6 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 41min31.924
7 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 41min33.107
8 Randy Krummenacher (Switzerland) Kalex 41min33.206
9 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex 41min33.458
10 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 41min33.645
11 Johann Zarco (France) Motobi 41min34.150
12 Bradley Smith (Britain) Tech 3 41min39.094
13 Claudio Corti (Italy) Kalex 41min40.615
14 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Suter 41min40.921
15 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter 41min43.891
Moto2 standings
1 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 88
2 Marc Marquez (Spain) Suter 86
3 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Kalex 71
4 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Speed up 71
5 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 50
6 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex 40
7 Claudio Corti (Italy) Kalex 35
8 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 31
9 Johann Zarco (France) Motobi 28
10 Bradley Smith (Britain) Tech 3 28
11 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 23
12 Toni Elias (Spain) Suter 23
13 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 22
14 Simone Corsi (Italy) FTR 19
15 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Suter 16
Moto3 result
1 Maverick Vinales (Spain) Honda 41min50.965
2 Sandro Cortese (Germany) KTM 41min58.717
3 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Honda 41min58.818
4 Louis Rossi (France) Honda 41min58.972
5 Alexis Masbou (France) Honda 41min59.040
6 Alex Marquez (Spain) Oral 41min59.232
7 Hector Faubel (Spain) Kalex 41min59.320
8 Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Malaysia) KTM 41min59.445
9 Romano Fenati (Italy) Honda 41min59.565
10 Luis Salom (Spain) Kalex 42min06.988
11 Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic) Honda 42min07.092
12 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) Honda 42min07.187
13 Alan Techer (France) Honda 42min07.757
14 Alberto Moncayo (Spain) Kalex 42min21.097
15 Jack Miller (Australia) Honda 42min21.097
Moto 3 standings
1 Sandro Cortese (Germany) KTM 87
2 Maverick Vinales (Spain) Honda 80
3 Luis Salom (Spain) Kalex 55
4 Romano Fenati (Italy) Honda 52
5 Louis Rossi (France) Honda 45
6 Alex Rins (Spain) Honda 44
7 Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Malaysia) KTM 37
8 Alberto Moncayo (Spain) Kalex 35
9 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) Honda 35
10 Alexis Masbou (France) Honda 29
11 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Honda 27
12 Hector Faubel (Spain) Kalex 24
13 Arthur Sissis (Australia) KTM 23
14 Alan Techer (France) Honda 18
15 Danny Kent (Britain) KTM 16
