MotoGP: Rossi takes seventh Mugello victory

[Rory Phoulorie]

By Michele Lostia Sunday, June 1st 2008, 12:44 GMT



Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, MugelloValentino Rossi took a dominant victory in his home Italian Grand Prix for the seventh time in seven years at Mugello, to add to his two additional wins in the lower classes.

This is Rossi's third consecutive victory this year, enabling him to further extend his lead in the MotoGP championship over Repsol Honda rival Dani Pedrosa.

The Italian, who didn't have the best of starts from pole with his Fiat Yamaha when he dropped back to fourth, took the lead from Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner on lap four and started opening a gap a few laps later, to extend it to as much as 3.5 seconds with two laps to go.

Pedrosa took the lead at the start but lost it to Stoner on lap two. The two riders stayed together throughout the race except at the end, when the Spaniard eased off after figuring he couldn't catch the Australian in second place.

In fact Pedrosa slowing down gave Honda Gresini's Alex de Angelis hope of getting on the podium, but it wasn't to be, with the former 250cc champion finishing 1.6 seconds ahead.

The rider from San Marino, however, must be the man of the race. After having an abysmal start from the tenth spot on the grid that dropped him back to last at the first corner, de Angelis fought back and was the only rider able to run at the same rhythm as the pace setters.

Fifth and sixth place went to the Tech 3 Yamahas of Colin Edwards and James Toseland, with Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi finishing in a disappointing seventh place after starting from the front row.

Andrea Dovizioso took his JiR Honda to eighth place ahead of Shinya Nakano's Honda Gresini and Chris Vermeulen's Suzuki.

Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo crashed out while trying to overtake Dovizioso from sixth place on lap seven, the same lap when John Hopkins had his race-ending fall from 13th spot.

On the previous lap it was LCR Honda's Randy de Puniet turn to slide off the track, but this also forced Ducati Marlboro's Marco Melandri to go off as he had nowhere else to go, resulting in both riders retiring.

Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) 42:31.153
2. Casey Stoner Ducati (B) + 2.201
3. Dani Pedrosa Honda (M) + 4.867
4. Alex de Angelis Honda (B) + 6.313
5. Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) + 12.530
6. James Toseland Yamaha (M) + 13.806
7. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) + 14.447
8. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) + 15.319
9. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) + 15.327
10. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) + 30.785
11. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) + 39.621
12. Toni Elias Ducati (B) + 50.021
13. Nicky Hayden Honda (M) + 50.440
14. Tadayuki Okada Honda (M) + 58.849
15. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) +1:00.736

Retirements:

Rider Bike Laps
Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) 6
John Hopkins Kawasaki (B) 6
Randy de Puniet Honda (M) 5
Marco Melandri Ducati (B) 5


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