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MUGELLO, Italy - Spanish defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, riding a Yamaha, held off a strong Honda challenge to win the Italian MotoGP here on Sunday, his second victory of the 2011 season.
Fresh from breaking the track record in qualifying on Saturday, Australian Casey Stoner started on pole and led for the opening 17 laps of the 23-lap race but with six laps to go Lorenzo took the lead with a sublime inside pass, pinching the inside lane through a steep, downhill chicane with pin-point deftness.
"I'm so happy," Lorenzo told the BBC. "Casey was so quick but little by little, lap by lap I managed to catch him. I saw the opportunity on the downhill."
The victory lifts Lorenzo (133 points) to within 19 of leader Stoner (152) in the championship standings.
Stoner was then ambushed by Honda team mate Andrea Dovizioso on the last lap and had to be happy with third.
"I did everything I could," Stoner said. He blamed the hotter conditions for playing havoc with his tyres – and indeed he slowed noticeably through the latter stages.
"The tyre pressure went up too high and I lost all grip in the rear - you can't do anything without it. I tried to keep a consistent pace but it was just too slow."
Dovizioso was up in the air with his second place: "To be the first Italian home in Mugello is something special," he said. "Last year I was third. It's something not many people in the world can feel."
There was no fairy-tale ending for Italian legend Valentino Rossi in his first race in front of his home fans since joining Ducati. 'The Doctor', who has won here nine times, came in sixth and 26.45sec off Lorenzo's flying pace.
Yamaha's Ben Spies, who won in Assen the previous weekend to break Stoner's series of three straight wins, was fourth.
Marco Simoncelli, racing under a cloud after being at fault for a first-lap collision with Lorenzo at Assen and a crash with Dani Pedrosa at Le Mans, avoided any mishaps to take fifth.
MOTO2 RACE
Earlier in the day Spain's Marc Marquez (Suter) won the Moto2 event ahead of Germany's Stefan Bradl on a Kalex and Bradley Smith of Britain on a Tech3.
The Spaniard started on pole but was pushed all the way by Bradl and Smith, who briefly held the lead and it was a third win of the season for Marquez who closed the gap on Bradl at the top of the overall standings.
125cc RACE
Marquez's compatriot Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) wrapped up the 125cc title ahead of Frenchman Johann Zarco (Derbi) and Maverick Vinales of Spain (Aprilia).
Zarco took the lead halfway through the race but was pipped at the post by the fast-finishing Zarco who tracked him all the way.
Results from the Italian motorcycling Grand Prix
MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 41min50.89
2 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) +0.997
3 Casey Stoner (AUS/Honda) +1.14
4 Ben Spies (USA/Yamaha) +8.9
5 Marco Simoncelli (ITA/Honda) +9.076
6 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Ducati) +26.450
7 Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati) +28.745
8 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +32.043
9 Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha3) +3.421
10 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +34.724
11 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN/Honda) +37.359
12 Karel Abraham (CZE/Ducati) +43.964
13 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Suzuki) +47.654
14 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Ducati) +.840
15 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) +1min15.199
Overall points
1 Casey Stoner (AUS/Honda) 152
2 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 133
3 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) 119
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Ducati) 91
5 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 77
6 Ben Spies (USA/Yamaha) 74
7 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 69
8 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN/Honda) 56
9 Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 53
10 Marco Simoncelli (ITA/Honda) 50
11 Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati) 44
12 Karel Abraham (CZE/Ducati) 37
13 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) 35
14 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 32
15 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Suzuki) 30
16 Loris Capirossi (ITA/Ducati) 22
17 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Ducati) 12
18 John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 6
19 Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN/Honda) 3
Moto2
1 Marc Marquez (ESP/Suter) 40min02.941,
2 Stefan Bradl (GER/Kalex) +0.071
3 Bradley Smith (GBR/Tech3) +0.419
4 Alex De Angelis (SMR/Motobi) +2.091
5 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Suter) +4.595
Overall Moto2 points
1 Stefan Bradl (GER/Kalex) 147
2 Marc Marquez (ESP/Suter) 95
3 Bradley Smith (GBR/Tech3) 79
4 Simone Corsi (ITA/FTR) 76,
5 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) 66
125cc
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Aprilia) 39min51.815
2 Johann Zarco (FRA/Derbi) +0.167
3 Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) +8.379,
4 Efren Vazquez (ESP/Derbi) +8.491,
5 Hector Faubel (ESP/Aprilia) +8.594
Overall 125cc points
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Aprilia) 153
2 Johann Zarco (FRA/Derbi) 114
3 Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 106
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Aprilia) 101
5 Sandro Cortese (GER/Aprilia) 98
Fresh from breaking the track record in qualifying on Saturday, Australian Casey Stoner started on pole and led for the opening 17 laps of the 23-lap race but with six laps to go Lorenzo took the lead with a sublime inside pass, pinching the inside lane through a steep, downhill chicane with pin-point deftness.
"I'm so happy," Lorenzo told the BBC. "Casey was so quick but little by little, lap by lap I managed to catch him. I saw the opportunity on the downhill."
The victory lifts Lorenzo (133 points) to within 19 of leader Stoner (152) in the championship standings.
Stoner was then ambushed by Honda team mate Andrea Dovizioso on the last lap and had to be happy with third.
"I did everything I could," Stoner said. He blamed the hotter conditions for playing havoc with his tyres – and indeed he slowed noticeably through the latter stages.
"The tyre pressure went up too high and I lost all grip in the rear - you can't do anything without it. I tried to keep a consistent pace but it was just too slow."
Dovizioso was up in the air with his second place: "To be the first Italian home in Mugello is something special," he said. "Last year I was third. It's something not many people in the world can feel."
There was no fairy-tale ending for Italian legend Valentino Rossi in his first race in front of his home fans since joining Ducati. 'The Doctor', who has won here nine times, came in sixth and 26.45sec off Lorenzo's flying pace.
Yamaha's Ben Spies, who won in Assen the previous weekend to break Stoner's series of three straight wins, was fourth.
Marco Simoncelli, racing under a cloud after being at fault for a first-lap collision with Lorenzo at Assen and a crash with Dani Pedrosa at Le Mans, avoided any mishaps to take fifth.
MOTO2 RACE
Earlier in the day Spain's Marc Marquez (Suter) won the Moto2 event ahead of Germany's Stefan Bradl on a Kalex and Bradley Smith of Britain on a Tech3.
The Spaniard started on pole but was pushed all the way by Bradl and Smith, who briefly held the lead and it was a third win of the season for Marquez who closed the gap on Bradl at the top of the overall standings.
125cc RACE
Marquez's compatriot Nicolas Terol (Aprilia) wrapped up the 125cc title ahead of Frenchman Johann Zarco (Derbi) and Maverick Vinales of Spain (Aprilia).
Zarco took the lead halfway through the race but was pipped at the post by the fast-finishing Zarco who tracked him all the way.
Results from the Italian motorcycling Grand Prix
MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 41min50.89
2 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) +0.997
3 Casey Stoner (AUS/Honda) +1.14
4 Ben Spies (USA/Yamaha) +8.9
5 Marco Simoncelli (ITA/Honda) +9.076
6 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Ducati) +26.450
7 Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati) +28.745
8 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) +32.043
9 Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha3) +3.421
10 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) +34.724
11 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN/Honda) +37.359
12 Karel Abraham (CZE/Ducati) +43.964
13 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Suzuki) +47.654
14 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Ducati) +.840
15 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) +1min15.199
Overall points
1 Casey Stoner (AUS/Honda) 152
2 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 133
3 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) 119
4 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Ducati) 91
5 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 77
6 Ben Spies (USA/Yamaha) 74
7 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 69
8 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN/Honda) 56
9 Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 53
10 Marco Simoncelli (ITA/Honda) 50
11 Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati) 44
12 Karel Abraham (CZE/Ducati) 37
13 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) 35
14 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 32
15 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Suzuki) 30
16 Loris Capirossi (ITA/Ducati) 22
17 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Ducati) 12
18 John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 6
19 Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN/Honda) 3
Moto2
1 Marc Marquez (ESP/Suter) 40min02.941,
2 Stefan Bradl (GER/Kalex) +0.071
3 Bradley Smith (GBR/Tech3) +0.419
4 Alex De Angelis (SMR/Motobi) +2.091
5 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Suter) +4.595
Overall Moto2 points
1 Stefan Bradl (GER/Kalex) 147
2 Marc Marquez (ESP/Suter) 95
3 Bradley Smith (GBR/Tech3) 79
4 Simone Corsi (ITA/FTR) 76,
5 Thomas Luthi (SUI/Suter) 66
125cc
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Aprilia) 39min51.815
2 Johann Zarco (FRA/Derbi) +0.167
3 Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) +8.379,
4 Efren Vazquez (ESP/Derbi) +8.491,
5 Hector Faubel (ESP/Aprilia) +8.594
Overall 125cc points
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Aprilia) 153
2 Johann Zarco (FRA/Derbi) 114
3 Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 106
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Aprilia) 101
5 Sandro Cortese (GER/Aprilia) 98
