- 2017-05-08
-
SPORTS
-
-
Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ MotoGP Jerez: Dani Pedrosa Takes First Victory of the 2017 Season in Spanish GP
The Round 4 on MotoGP 2017, Spanish Grand Prix ran at Circuito de Jerez in Spain on May 7.
Pole position start Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) claimed his first victory of 2017 season, and became the 3000th Grand Prix winner. He led from start to finish to win for the first time since last September's race at Misano. 2nd place was his team-mate Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) finished 3rd. For Jorge Lorenzo, it is his best result since he moved to Ducati. All Spaniard stood the podium.
The 3rd position start Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and 5th postion start Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out on 5 laps.
For Yamaha team, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) finished top of the Open Class category at 4th and Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was 6th, as well as Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was worst result at 10th.
This marks Valentino Rossi keeps top ahead of Maverick Vinales with 2 points lead and Marc Marquez is 3rd with 58 points, as well as Dani Pedrosa is 4th with 52 points on the Championship Standings.
Dani Pedrosa (P1):
“It was a very nice race, I’m very happy…it wasn’t as easy as maybe it seems but I enjoyed it. At the beginning I was so focused and it was important to do a very focused race, in these kind of conditions the track wasn’t as grippy as in practice, maybe because of the temperature but I felt less grip, I was running the hard front like many riders…early I pulled a gap, then I tried to keep my pace under control. At some point Marc started to close a bit. At two or three corners the front was very critical and it was easy to make a mistake if I pushed too hard. I made some mistakes and at one point I think I was over the limit on the kerb, I lost maybe three tenths but I was lucky to come back. Very happy, the weekend was amazing in front of these amazing people. I like this track so much and I enjoyed the race a lot. I didn’t want the gap to be too big – I could have gone faster in the beginning but I didn’t want to push the tyre too push, Marc was on the hard tyre and I knew he would be strong towards the end. I’m happy to win this for my team, we’ve worked hard since winter testing…it’s all going positive, and after the last podium and now this win we just hope to continue in this line. It’s amazing today to pull out this win because our rivals weren’t as good – normally Yamaha are the favourites at this track, usually every year at least one is on the podium. So we got back some points we lost after the mistake in Argentina, and it’s more interesting for the Championship.
I’m just happy because I’m much more conscious now. When I was younger it’s more unconscious and you don’t know why you’re so fast or so good, but as you get older you have to be more conscious of what’s happening and you are the one who has to make it happen more. It doesn’t come as easy. It’s much more fun now when things are happening…Whether I’m an outsider or a favourite doesn’t matter, because you’re focused on your goal. It’s not happening because people say something about you or don’t – it’s because you make it happen. And today is an amazing feeling because of that.”
Marc Marquez (P2):
“First of all I’m happy to be here in second, normally here in Jerez is one of my most difficult tracks. But this year I was really concentrated and able to push until the last two laps, when I said ‘ok, second place’. The rear tyre for me was working quite well, the first two or three laps it took time to warm up but my limitation was the front tyre…my riding style pushes a lot in braking. It was quite difficult, but I’m happy to be here on the podium, four points behind the points leader…we’ll see in Le Mans, tomorrow we also have an important test here. After Argentina, Austin was a great weekend…and here I knew it was one of the most important weekends of the year. I’m proud of my team and my level in this circuit. Today the mentality was to push – but inside the limit! After Argentina we looked lost, Yamaha looked unbeatable…maybe in Le Mans it will reversed again! We will see. Our target was to be in these positions until Catalunya, because these aren’t my favourite races.”
Jorge Lorenzo (P3):
“Best present ever, I couldn’t have a better present for my 30th birthday. It’s more than a victory and more than a victory with Yamaha. Everyone knows the difficulties to be competitive with the Ducati in the dry, on a difficult track like Jerez has been for us. But Jerez is one of my favourite tracks. We’ve been strong all weekend except in qualifying, and I knew I had the pace to fight – maybe not for the podium but for fifth or sixth. Then I started overtaking riders, the race pace was quite slow because of the heat and I stayed behind Zarco, then when I overtook him it was difficult to pull away. In the last laps my tyres were better and I was able to pull away and enjoy this result for me and the team. I said on Thursday it’s a combination of a lot of things but mainly kilometers. This is a special bike, when I arrived in MotoGP on the Yamaha I was immediately fast because it was a bike made for my riding style, but in other categories it took me a long time to understand certain things and that’s happening now. But you don’t have to doubt my riding or mentality, but some people did. They doubted and now they have to eat their words! All riders in this Championship are very good and can be in front, especially riders who have won races and titles. It flowed more today, but it’s still not natural for me to use the rear brake. Sooner or later it will be – but I’ve been nine years without using that. You always have to find a way to get the maximum from the bike and every bike has a different way of doing that.”
Gran Premio Red Bull de España MotoGP Race Results:- Dani Pedrosa / Repsol Honda Team / 45'26.827s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda Team / 45'32.963s
- Jorge Lorenzo / Ducati Team / 45'41.594s
- Johann Zarco / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / 45'44.428s
- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati Team / 45'49.740s
- Maverick Viñales / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / 45'51.383s
- Danilo Petrucci / Octo Pramac Racing / 45'51.786s
- Jonas Folger / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / 45'54.548s
- Aleix Espargaro / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 45'58.060s
- Valentino Rossi / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / 46'5.509s
- Scott Redding / Octo Pramac Racing / 46'7.806s
- Hector Barbera / Reale Avintia Racing / 46'10.026s
- Loris Baz / Reale Avintia Racing / 46'10.038s
- Bradley Smith / Red Bull KTM Factory Racing / 46'14.791s
- Karel Abraham / Pull&Bear Aspar Team / 46'18.106s
- Sam Lowes / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 46'35.712s
- Takuya Tsuda / Team Suzuki Ecstar / 46'54.277s
All photos copyright by MotoGP.- source : MotoGP
