Silverstone MotoGP: Lorenzo takes win despite Marquez's best efforts

Jorge Lorenzo has taken an emphatic win today at Silverstone to break Marc Marquez’s win streak, despite the best efforts of the rookie and one of the most exciting last laps of the season so far.

Lorenzo led off the line, and was able to pull a lead, exhibiting the early race pace that Marquez was so worried about after qualifying yesterday. However, as in the past few races, the rookie was able to pull back some of the gap in the closing stages of the race, bringing teammate Dani Pedrosa with him.

However, unlike in the past few races, he found it totally unable to pass the world champion, pushing and lunging but unable to make a move stick. He eventually did make it across, with three laps to go, before Lorenzo managed to make it back in front.

Marquez then bode his time for the last lap, making another move stick. But Lorenzo wasn’t done, and diving up the inside of Marquez, he sat the championship leader up and took the lead with only a few corners remaining.

Pedrosa, closing in on the leaders, was never close enough to challenge, and had to settle for third. Fourth was decided by a monumental battle between Rossi and Bautista that saw the 9 time world champion swap the lead with the Spaniard on the last lap to take fourth.

Stefan Bradl was sixth, ahead of Cal Crutchlow who finished a lonely race in seventh, still reeling from three huge crashes this weekend.

Nicky Hayden was eighth, after teammate Andrea Dovisioso crashed while battling with Hayden and Bradley Smith, who finished ninth. Aleix Espargaro was top CRT to round out the top ten.

Michael Laverty was able to beat teammate Yonny Hernandez for the first time this season, as the the PBM Aprilia riders finished 19th and 20th.

Lorenzo said afterwards: “I tried to open a gap at the beginning, but it was very difficult with the hard tyre. So I tried to push where I could, and I was stronger than him on the brakes a little. I tried to push hard on the last lap but made a mistake at the chicane and almost crashed. But then he left a little gap in the last corner, and I thought it was now or never and made my move!”

Marquez, who dislocated his shoulder this morning said that the pain wasn’t the main issue ” I felt ok – it was painful, but I took some pills and had some injections, but the main problem was changing direction, as I lost lots of power. I was able to stay with Jorge, but opened the throttle a little too much in the last corner and got a big slide.”

1 25 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 173.2 40’52.515
2 20 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 173.2 +0.081
3 16 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 173.1 +1.551
4 13 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 172.2 +13.233
5 11 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 172.2 +13.298
6 10 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 171.7 +20.227
7 9 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 171.3 +26.299
8 8 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 170.7 +35.993
9 7 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 170.6 +36.119
10 6 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 169.5 +53.196
11 5 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 169.1 +59.058
12 4 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati 169.0 +1’00.710
13 3 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 168.9 +1’01.690
14 2 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 168.9 +1’01.843
15 1 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 168.4 +1’08.833
16 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 168.4 +1’09.063
17 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 167.9 +1’16.474
18 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 167.9 +1’16.535
19 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 166.9 +1’32.057
20 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 166.6 +1’36.224
21 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 165.0 +2’00.635

Not Classified

4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 170.8 2 Laps