Britain MotoGP 2011: Stoner storms it in Silverstone showers

CASEY Stoner became the overwhelming favourite for the MotoGP championship in 2011, after earning his third successive victory.  He produced a peerless display at a rain-sodden Silverstone to take the championship lead for the first time since the opening round in Qatar.  His closest championship rival Jorge Lorenzo crashed out, a rare error from the world champion.

HEARTBREAK: For Crutchlow, as he missed his home event

     The British weather was certainly unkind yesterday across the country, but Cal Crutchlow was already out of luck.  The Tech Speed Yamaha rider, preparing for his first home grand prix, crashed heavily in the first five minutes of Saturday’s qualifying session.  As soon as he went down, Crutchlow was clutching his shoulder, clearly in agony.  The diagnosis of his injury was the same one which Colin Edwards picked up last weekend in Catalunya, a fractured collarbone.  A sick Crutchlow went to hospital in Oxfordshire, gutted to miss the event he must have been looking forward to the most in his rookie season.  Edwards was fit to ride, but Dani Pedrosa was still missing, with suspicions flying around the paddock that he has had a training accident in Spain and done further damage to the collarbone he initially fractured at last month’s French Grand Prix.

     Stoner took pole position, but was beaten down to turn one by Lorenzo and the Honda of Andrea Dovizioso.  Lorenzo quickly lost the lead to both works Honda riders, and although Dovizioso was ahead across the stripe for the first time, Stoner nailed him in the Abbey complex on the second lap and took off from there.  Dovizioso was left to fend off Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli, but both ended up making costly mistakes.  Lorenzo caught a puddle on the exit of the first corner, and he high-sided off his bike.  The Yamaha more looked like Bambi after he was born, rather than a competitive bike on the impact, Jorge lucky to escape injury, just damaged pride for the world champion; his first DNF since the 2009 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.  It was a miserable day for Yamaha as seconds before Lorenzo’s dramatic exit, Ben Spies, clearly looking uncomfortable in the Northamptonshire rain, crashed at Copse.  Although complaining of back pain, Spies was given the all-clear in the medical centre afterwards.

     A few laps afterwards, Simoncelli made his customary exit.  He hit standing water on the approach to the first corner, and slid off his Gresini Honda bike with a one-way ticket, into the barriers.  It was a stupid crash, as his maiden podium was there for the taking.  The way Simoncelli rides is sensational, but he is an accident just waiting to happen.  It is already his third crash from six races in 2011.  These demises meant Dovizioso had an unchallenged ride into second place.  The most popular cheer was for Edwards, who rode through the pain barrier and wound up with a thoroughly deserved podium for the battered Tech Speed crew.  Fellow countryman Nicky Hayden was a strong fourth at Silverstone for the second year running, with Suzuki finally getting a well-merited result; Alvaro Bautista in fifth.  Having started a woeful 13^th, Valentino Rossi had a very flat weekend, but survived the weather to finish sixth.  However, he did lap upto five seconds a lap slower than Stoner on a number of occasions, which highlights the significant amount of work that Ducati have to do if they want to get on terms with Honda. 

     This could turn into a significant weekend for the 2011 MotoGP season.  Casey Stoner is looking invincible at the moment.  Hopefully, we will have a full grid and no significant injuries at the Dutch TT in Assen in a fortnight’s time.