Pedrosa notches first triumph of season in Spain

JEREZ, Spain: Dani Pedrosa won his first MotoGP race of the season yesterday, leading a 1-2 Honda finish with Marc Marquez at the Spain Grand Prix.
The 20-year-old Marquez moved top of the standings with 61 points after three races. Pedrosa has 58, a point ahead of world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Pedrosa completed the 27 laps of the 4.42-kilometer (2.74-mile) Jerez Circuit with relative ease after taking the lead from pole-sitter Lorenzo for good by passing him on an inside curve during the sixth lap.
“Jorge started fast, and I just tried to keep up with him at first,” Pedrosa said. “Later I saw I had better pace and after I passed him I just focused on protecting my tires and was able to manage my lead.”
Lorenzo held off Marquez until the last curve when the newcomer squeaked by for second place after the riders bumped.
Lorenzo finished third to complete the Spanish podium, ahead of Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi.
It was Pedrosa’s 23rd MotoGP career win.
Marquez became both MotoGP’s youngest pole sitter and winner at the previous Grand Prix of the Americas.
Last season’s Moto2 champion continued to show both his talent and daring. After failing to overtake Lorenzo three times, Marquez surged inside on the final curve and then stayed upright when Lorenzo and he collided side-to-side.
“I drove to the limit all the way chasing Dani and Lorenzo. And I went for it 110 percent on the last curve,” said Marquez, before publicly apologizing to Lorenzo for the risky move that could have sent both riders to the ground.
Lorenzo at first refused to shake Marquez’s hand just off his bike. But he appeared to have cooled down by the time they took to the podium where all three top riders showered one another with champagne.
Esteve Rabat won the Moto2 race and Maverick Vinales was first in Moto3 to complete a Spanish sweep in front of the home fans. Overall, Spanish riders took seven of the nine podium spots.
Rabat won from pole position to take the lead in the Moto2 standings. England’s Scott Redding came in second, followed by Pol Espargaro of Spain. Rabat leads Redding by one point. In Moto3, Vinales was declared the winner when the race was stopped on the 17th of 23 laps after a crash by Alan Techer brought out a red flag.
The French rider had to be attended by the track’s medical staff. Six other riders had already crashed during the incident-filled race.
Fellow Spaniard Luis Salom was second, and Jonas Folger of Germany finished third.
Vinales leads Moto3 with 65 points, four more than Salom.