The twice champion took his fifth podium of the season, third at this mythical track, and extended his lead in the championship over Casey Stoner to 37 points.

Dani again showed his capacity to control a race from the beginning which saw him start from fifth. Pedrosa kept his cool as he found himself initially in a group of eight riders at the front – amongst them his team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama. On the sixth lap, Dani launched his first attack and posted the fastest lap which he was then to lower several times. At the halfway point he was sat in third having broken away with Porto and Lorenzo. The Argentine launched his offensive on the last lap when he passed both Lorenzo and Dani and took the chequered flag by just three tenths.

Aoyama performed admirable, the Japanese rider repeated the fourth place that he took at Catalunya demonstarting that he can regularly be amongst the top riders. Hiro battled with De Angelis, Stoner, Dovizioso, De Puniet and Barbera and took another big step forward. Aoyama is now fifth in the championship with 71 points.                                     

DANI PEDROSA (2nd): “It was a difficult race, made more so when De Angelis and Barbera got ahead of me at the start. I had to recover quickly because Lorenzo and Porto had already got away. I managed to cut the gap to them bit by bit and got back on terms. In the end I wanted to get in front, but Lorenzo had a problem on the final chicane and I had to hold off the gas which meant it was impossible to pass Porto. Anyway, this second place is good; it could have been a lot worse with the rain. We had a great race.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA (4º): “I am proud of the race that I rode today. The objective was to lap with the fastest riders and I did that. All the group were lapping at the same times and it was a very hard race today. I was able to pass Stoner before the chicane and hold on for fourth like I did in Barcelona. I wanted to get on the podium, but I am getting closer every time and we are progressing.”

RACE POSITIONS

1. S. Porto (Arg/Apri) 38’02”148
2. D. Pedrosa (Esp/Hon) a 0”381
3. J. Lorenzo (Esp/Hon) a 1”232
4. H. Aoyama (Jap/Hon) a 11”757
5. De Angelis (RSM/Ap) a 12”017

250 CC CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Dani Pedrosa 143 p.
2. Casey Stoner 106 p.
3. Andrea Dovizioso 102 p.
4. Sebastián Porto 74 p.
5. Hiroshi Aoyama 71 p.