Valentino Rossi Ducati – MotoGP 2012

2011 MotoGP World Championship standings after round three, Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril…

2011 MOTOGP RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

2011 MOTOGP TEAMS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

2011 MOTOGP CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

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1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 45m 51.483s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 45m 54.534s
3. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 45m 59.141s
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 46m 8.013s
5. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 46m 8.038s
6. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 46m 24.058s
7. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 46m 30.232s
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 46m 32.395s
9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 46m 46.370s
10. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 46m 51.180s
11. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 46m 51.857s
12. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 46m 53.276s
13. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 47m 15.853s

DNF:
Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing
Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing
Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar Team
Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini

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1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 37.161s
2. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 37.294s
3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 37.324s
4. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 1m 37.384s
5. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 37.866s
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 38.073s
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 38.080s
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 38.189s
9. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 38.271s
10. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar Team 1m 38.363s
11. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 38.497s
12. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1m 38.786s
13. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 38.922s
14. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 1m 38.934s
15. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 39.172s
16. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 1m 39.378s
17. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 39.894s

Fastest practice time:
Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 37.663s (FP2)

2010 Portuguese Grand Prix (October 31):
Pole position:
Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha 1m 48.522s*
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha 1m 37.928s

* Qualifying cancelled due to weather, grid set in wet free practice.

Jorge Lorenzo
“Since I became World Champion my life has been amazing! It was a lifelong dream and to have achieved is still almost unbelievable. After Phillip Island I returned to Mallorca and I had an incredible welcome from the people, with a procession through the streets of Palma, with thousands of people there to greet me. It was a beautiful night. It was also the first time to see my family and to be with them. I don’t really cry, but when I was reunited with my father I was close to tears, because he is the one who started me on this path.

My team and I are looking forward to the last two races, we can relax and think about racing, which was really impossible while we were still concentrating on the championship. We couldn’t take any risks! Now I am just riding for the moment and it is a great feeling. Estoril is one of my best tracks, I’ve won from pole there for the last two years, so we will try to do that again. Then we finish in Spain, close to my home, so I am looking forward to seeing all the fans there. After Valencia we start immediately working on 2011, together with my new team-mate Ben, and I can’t wait to get started. Till then we have one more thing to focus on and that is the Manufacturers’ title, it is within our grasp and I hope to help us achieve this and the Triple Crown.”

Having topped both practice sessions this weekend, Lorenzo was the clear favourite for pole this afternoon and the 22-year-old looked smooth and comfortable out on track as he made a few last-minute setting changes before the fight for grid spots. With twenty minutes remaining he took the lead and didn’t surrender it for the rest of the session, improving his time several times and never looking in much danger from his rivals.

Rossi had a few problems yesterday but was in better shape today, having improved the balance of his M1 in the hard braking zones. His penultimate lap was good enough to put him second although he was unable to quite match his team-mate’s pace on the softer Bridgestone tyre today. The championship leader is planning a few overnight improvements in order to ensure he is at the maximum for the race.

Tomorrow’s 28-lap race gets underway at the slightly earlier time than usual of 1300 local time, which is 1400 CET.

Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 1st Time: 1’36.214 Laps: 29
“It’s been quite a few races since I’ve had a pole! I was getting a bit worried because doing one fast lap has always been one of my strong points but lately we haven’t been able to be quite competitive enough with the soft tyre. This weekend however everything is working really well and the setting with both tyres is great, so I was able to go out and do some very fast laps. Tomorrow is another day and we know that everyone will be strong, so we will just try and push to the limit and see what happens.”