MotoGP News
Date: 16/September/2012
Dani Pedrosa’s hopes of finally winning a MotoGP title are in tatters after a string of incidents ended with the Honda rider being punted off on the first lap of a restarted San Marino Grand Prix.
Having qualified on pole, Pedrosa entered the race looking for his third victory in a row to further reduce Jorge Lorenzo’s 13-point title lead.
But he left having dropped 38 points behind after a catalogue of problems, which began when the first race start was halted at the last second after Karel Abraham stalled on the grid.
When Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda mechanics tried to remove his front tyre warmer just before the restart they found the front wheel locked. They then briefly moved the bike to pit lane where the wheel was freed and tyre warmer removed before returning to the grid and restarting the bike.
Although no rider had left the grid to start the sighing lap before Pedrosa returned, the incident forced the Spanish star to start from the back of the grid.
Pedrosa looked to have put the drama behind him as he charged into the top ten early in the race, only to be hit from behind by compatriot Hector Barbera - launching Pedrosa into the air and his first retirement of the year.
Pedrosa said: “It's was total chaos and many things happened at the same time. It all began with the restart because the procedure was not at all clear. Nobody knew if it was one minute, three minutes, warmers on or off… We were also getting different information about the number of laps, 26, 27…
“Then suddenly we were told it was 1 minute to the start of the race, with no board signage, nothing. The mechanics were rushing to prepare and when they tried to take off the warmers my front wheel was somehow locked, they tried to unlocked it but they weren't able to and due to the 1 minute warning - where they are not allowed to touch the bike anymore - they put me to the back of the grid.
“I tried to remain focused, not make any mistake on the first lap, make clear moves to overtake riders and I was 8th or 9th by the sixth corner when Barberá hit me from behind, and that was it.”
Lorenzo maximised Pedrosa’s loss by leading from start to finish - and Pedrosa claimed he could still have won from last on the grid.
“I'm very upset because even it's easy to say now, I think I could have had a chance to win this race, even starting from the last place on the grid.
“Now the Championship is obviously more uphill for me, but I will continue the same way. We have done everything we could so far, the bike is working well and I'm riding well, too. So it's not over for me; there are still five races to go and we will do our best".
Lorenzo has also suffered one non-score this year, when he was hit by Alvaro Bautista at Assen.
Lorenzo said: “In Holland we were unlucky and today Dani was unlucky, anything can happen in these races. We have to be happy with our result and the point advantage we now have.”
Bautista took his first MotoGP podium on Sunday in third place, with home hero Valentino Rossi stealing the show with second place for Ducati.
Rossi said: “It’s a great result, which I’d like to dedicate to Marco Simoncelli and his family. I’d also like to thank all the guys who work with me and everyone at Ducati who are giving their best, like me: after two difficult years, we really needed that.”
The next round will be held at Motorland Aragon, Spain, on September 30.
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