The weather conditions at Silverstone were prohibitive, a soaking wet track and cold temperatures conditioned the race for all the riders except for Casey Stoner, who took his fourth win of this season.
As expected the Repsol Honda rider who dominated all weekend, in the dry and the wet and did the same in today’s race, and was so fast and sure that he ended up lapping back markers Hector Barbera and Randy de Puniet, but it was the crashes of high profile riders that changed the face of today’s race.
Andrea Dovizioso took the second spot podium, showing excellent form and often holding off hard charging Jorge Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli on the brakes, until both crashed out.
First Lorenzo who destroyed his M1 and then Simoncelli who slid out of almost of a sure 3rd place podium on lap 11, and in the same turn as the Yamaha rider.
But today’s hero was Colin Edwards.
Just nine days after undergoing collarbone surgery in Barcelona, the Texas Tornado brought in the only Yamaha and a satellite one to boot, to the podium with his third place after both factory Yamaha riders crashed out.
First Ben Spies and then Jorge Lorenzo who did the same just a half lap later, thus breaking not only his long run of finishes that dated back to Phillip Island 2009, but also relinquishing the leadership of the championship to Casey Stoner.
Nicky Hayden took fourth and even posted the fastest lap of the race in the final three laps and he was followed by an impressive Alvaro Bautista who was the last rider to be within a minute from Stoner.
Taking sixth in one of his worst weekend’s ever was Valentino Rossi who managed to finish in front of a much more admirable Karel Abraham in seventh.
Toni Elias, Hiroshi Aoyama and Loris Capirossi completed the top ten, with Hector Barbera and Randy de Puniet both lapped by Stoner.
MotoGP Silverstone Race results:01- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 20 laps in 47’53.
45902- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 15.
15903- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 21.
48004- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 26.
98405- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 35.
56906- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1’04.
52607- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1’32.
65008- Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1’51.
93809- Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1’52.
35010- Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 2’03.
31211- Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1 lap12- Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1 lap