Nicky Hayden back on the podium and Dani Pedrosa only three tenths of a second away.
Nicky Hayden’s third place allows him to keep the leadership; Dani Pedrosa’s fourth place sends him down to third overall.
Positive day for the riders of the Repsol Honda Team in Germany. Despite neither Dani Pedrosa nor Nicky Hayden managing to take the victory at the Sachsenring, both riders scored a large amount of points keeping their chances for the title intact. After Rossi’s victory, Nicky Hayden’s third place and Dani Pedrosa’s fourth position, the North American rider will lead the standings on his arrival in Laguna Seca, his home track, with an advantage of 26 points over second classified Valentino Rossi and 29 over the third classified, team mate Dani Pedrosa. The MotoGP race started with a large group of riders leading in the first laps made up by both Repsol Honda Team riders, Rossi, Capirossi, Melandri, Roberts and Tamada. In lap ten, Roberts and Tamada left the group after the crash of the American rider who hit the Japanese rider making him crash as well. With the group reduced to five riders, the laps went by and bit by bit Capirossi lost contact.
Finally it was Rossi, Melandri, Pedrosa and Hayden who had to fight for the victory and the remaining steps on the podium. And it’s been an intense battle in the last four laps, with the bikes touching each other and more than one fright. Eventually it was Rossi who knew how to play his cards best taking another victory, followed by Melandri and Hayden. The winner of the British Grand Prix, Dani Pedrosa, was set back to fourth this time – despite crossing the finish line three tenths of a second behind the winner and almost crashing during the last lap. With Hayden’s and Pedrosa’s result, the Repsol Honda Team keeps the leadership in the teams’ overall standings with a large advantage of 89 points over the second classified, the Camel Yamaha Team.
In the 250cc, average performance of the Repsol riders this weekend. Martín Cárdenas suffered a crash, fortunately without physical consequences, after the front tyre of his bike lost grip in the sixth lap while he was lapping on tenth position. His team mate Shuhei Aoyama, who was ninth but far behind the leading group finished the race in that same position.
In the 125cc, positive performance again for Repsol rider Bradley Smith. After an average start – he was nineteenth after the first lap -, Smith recovered positions thanks to his quick and consistent pace and took the chequered flag in twelfth position.
Riders´s comments:
Nicky Hayden:
‘We had a good battle today and I really enjoyed it – everybody rode well and rode hard and nobody gave an inch. I knew these guys were going to fight it out so I thought I had a good chance to get in front towards the end. On the last lap I thought Marco would go up the inside and maybe open the door at the bottom the hill and that’s what I was planning on at the end. I’m not completely satisfied with third because this is a good track for me and I thought I had a shot at the win today, but I enjoyed the battle. The other guys did a great job and also a big thanks to everybody in my team. Though we couldn’t quite get off the corners quick enough today, at other spots on the lap the bike was really good. Now I’m really looking forward to going home – and I’m proud to be going to Laguna leading the point. We’ll definitely be trying to get 25 points there.’
Dani Pedrosa:
‘It was a good race between all four riders at the front but unfortunately I finished at the back of the group, so of course I feel a little bit disappointed. I was quick for most of the lap except in the downhill corner near the end of the lap where I was losing too much time. I will have to improve myself in the overtaking places because I tried hard in this race to not be overtaken and also to overtake the others, but it was not quite enough. I think I was actually faster than the others, however I wasn’t able to get to the front and that’s why I couldn’t show my true speed today. Still, the season is going well and I’m pretty happy with most of my performance today.’
Shuhei Aoyama:
‘I’m not happy at all with the race today. The start was rather normal, neither good not bad but I had trouble following the other riders at the beginning. The setting of the bike’s suspension was not perfect. I had a consistent race pace but the top group was faster and I lost contact with them. I really expected more of this race. We have to work on the suspensions setting for the next race although this one has not been easy at all.’
Martín Cárdenas:
‘I made a good start; I managed to put myself behind Shuhei, but I’ve been riding at the limit all time and finally had to pay for it. The bike was skidding a lot and in the end I pushed more than I should in one of the corners and I lost the front end. Fortunately I’m physically all right.’
Bradley Smith:
‘The start was very bad but I made a good effort on the first lap to try and pass other riders to get as far up as I could. It was Ok from then, every lap trying to overtake. Finally I arrived to the group and then I made a mistake which sent me back, but then I came back forward again. It was difficult but the rear tyre was the main problem during the race, it was moving all the time, but I think that it’s been the same for everyone. I’m happy. Maybe if I would have got a better start I could have gone with the top guys. But that’s the way it goes. I have to make sure that I practice some more starts when we come back after the summer break.’
Standings:
MotoGP
- V.Rossi (Yamaha) 41’59.248
- M.Melandri (Honda) 41’59.393
- N.Hayden (Honda) 41’59.514
- D.Pedrosa (Honda) 41’59.555
- L.Capirossi (Ducati) 42’08.012
Mundial MotoGP
- N.Hayden, 169 points
- V.Rossi, 143
- D.Pedrosa, 140
- M.Melandri, 134
- L.Capirossi, 118
250
- Y.Takahashi (Honda) 41’30.350
- A.de Angelis (Aprilia) 41’30.408
- J.Lorenzo (Aprilia) 41’31.363
- A.Dovizioso (Honda) 41’34.371
- H.Barberá (Aprilia) 41’39.734
9. S.Aoayama (Honda) 41’57.091
NC M.Cárdenas (Honda)
Mundial 250
- J.Lorenzo, 174 puntos
- A.Dovizioso, 172
- Y.Takahashi, 133
- A.de Angelis, 131
- H.Aoyama, 116
11. S.Aoyama, 48
15. M.Cárdenas, 28
125
- M.Passini (Aprilia) 39’44.091
- A.Bautista (Aprilia) 39’44.101
- L.Pesek (Derbi) 39’44.202
- H.Faubel (Aprilia) 39’53.389
- S.Corsi (Gilera) 39’53.463
12. B.Smith (Honda) 40’10.480
Mundial 125
- A.Bautista, 205 points
- M.Kallio, 141
- M.Pasini, 137
- H.Faubel, 123
- S.Gadea, 120
20. B.Smith, 8
