Estoril MotoGP: Pedrosa takes first win of 2011

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa has taken his first race win of 2011 at the Estoril circuit in Portugal today.

Pedrosa and current champion Jorge Lorenzo pulled away from the rest of the field with Lorenzo in the lead.

It looked as though Lorenzo would take the win, with Pedrosa unable to get close enough to make a move, but with four laps remaining the factory Honda rider made his move and then remarkably pulled away from Lorenzo to comfortably take victory.

Team-mate Casey Stoner finished in third, almost five seconds behind Jorge Lorenzo.

Andrea Dovizioso finished fourth, just 0.02 seconds ahead of Valentino Rossi, after beating the Ducati rider on the drag to the finish line.

Cal Crutchlow had another solid top ten finish in eighth place, as he was unable to fend off Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama.

Marco Simoncelli was unable to take his rivalry with Lorenzo on to the track, after crashing at turn six on lap one, along with Hector Barbera. Neither rider was able to remount and finish the race.

1 25 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 153.2 45’51.483
2 20 1 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 153.0 +3.051
3 16 27 Casey STONER AUS Repsol Honda Team Honda 152.8 +7.658
4 13 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 152.3 +16.530
5 11 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 152.3 +16.555
6 10 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 151.4 +32.575
7 9 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 151.1 +38.749
8 8 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 151.0 +40.912
9 7 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 150.2 +54.887
10 6 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 150.0 +59.697
11 5 24 Toni ELIAS SPA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 149.9 +1’00.374
12 4 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 149.8 +1’01.793
13 3 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 148.6 +1’24.370