BRNO, Czech Republic — On Sunday, Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo achieved his seventh MotoGp victory of the season, triumphing with his Yamaha in the Czech Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old celebrated unusually by dismounting his bike and walking onto a nearby golf course for a putt that he required two strokes to hole, finishing ahead of fellow Spaniard and pole sitter Dani Pedrosa, who was on a Honda, while Australia’s former world champion Casey Stoner secured third place.
“I couldn’t sink the ball, but at least I won the race!” Lorenzo exclaimed, matching the records set by Australian legend Michael Doohan and Agostino by finishing first or second in the season’s first 10 races.
“It was a very challenging day since I had crashed during qualifying, which affected my confidence. The wind posed difficulties for the riders, but for me, it was a fantastic win,” the Spaniard smiled.
Admitting he was unable to keep pace with Lorenzo as the latter consistently posted faster lap times, Pedrosa found a positive aspect in the result.
“After crashing in the last race, being back on the podium is a happy moment for me,” commented the 24-year-old.
Stoner, the 2007 world champion, noted that he didn’t have high hopes for victory as the Ducati team had adopted a new setup for his bike that morning.
“I needed some time to find a proper rhythm in the race,” the 24-year-old reflected.
“I might have been pushing too hard, but every rider is performing so well at the moment; it’s a constant battle at this level.”
Lorenzo seized the lead from pole sitter Pedrosa on the first of the 22 laps as five riders, including Stoner, contended for the top three positions during the opening laps, while nine-time champion Valentino Rossi lagged in eighth place.
Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian rider, was the first among the front five to falter, suffering a crash on lap four in the middle of the track, narrowly avoiding serious injury from an oncoming bike.
The Repsol rider – who won the British MotoGp this season – rejoined the race but fell to the back and ultimately retired to the pit.
“I don’t know exactly what happened,” said the 24-year-old Italian, who was the 125cc world champion in 2004.
“The wind contributed to the slower times out there. I made one mistake by pushing too hard at the start to stay close to Lorenzo and Pedrosa.
“However, I’m really upset because based on the race’s outcome, I believe we would’ve been contenders for second or third place.”
Lorenzo and his compatriot Pedrosa gradually increased their lead over third-placed American rookie Ben Spies and Stoner, who also fell behind the young American.
The Spanish duo established a lead of over four seconds ahead of Spies and Stoner, while the latter pair enjoyed a significant gap over a pack including fifth-placed Rossi, who was about nine seconds back, along with Nicky Hayden, with 12 laps remaining.
Stoner tenaciously maintained his position, overtaking Spies to clinch third place with 11 laps to go, and at this juncture, Lorenzo intensified the pressure on Pedrosa, pulling ahead by over a second with 10 laps left.
Pedrosa was unable to narrow the gap, and Lorenzo coasted to victory, drawing ever closer to his first MotoGp world title.