MotoGP 2015: Silverstone race results
Marquez crashes out, dramatically reducing his chances of defending title
VALENTINO Rossi has claimed his fourth win of the 2015 MotoGP season after providing a masterclass in riding in the wet at Silverstone.
Movistar Yamaha’s Rossi claimed his first ever victory at Silverstone in the wet and has now opened up a 12-point lead over team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.
The race was originally declared dry but rain on the grid prompted every rider to return to the pits on their warm-up lap to swap to wet tyres.
Rossi then moved his way up from fourth on the grid to take the lead on the second lap. The Italian passed his team-mate and main title rival Lorenzo at Village corner.
Trying to make a break, it was only Marc Marquez who had the pace to keep up with Rossi. Lap after lap Rossi and Marquez pulled away at the front, opening up a seven-second gap from third placed Danilo Petrucci.
Rossi, 36, then set a blistering pace in awful conditions which seemed too extreme for reigning world champion Marquez, who crashed out on lap 13 at Copse Corner, virtually ending his chances of defending his title. The Spaniard is now 77 points adrift of Rossi with only six races remaining.
After Marquez's crash, it was the Ducatis of Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso that began to close down Rossi toward the end of the race. Petrucci reduced the gap to just 1.6s with two laps remining, but the ‘Doctor’ took victory by 3.010s.
Octo Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci delivered an incredible ride to secure his first ever MotoGP podium as the leading satellite rider. The Italian, starting from 18th on the grid, rode through the pack before getting involved in the battle for second with Dovizioso on the factory Ducati Team GP15.
Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso completed an all-Italian podium to equal his best result of the season in Assen.
Rossi’s main title rival and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo had a frustrating race. The double MotoGP world champion led into the first corner, but found himself back down the field at a rapid pace.
Dani Pedrosa on the second Repsol Honda battled hard throughout the race to secure fifth place. The Spaniard started to drop back in the latter stages missing out on a chance of a podium.
Marc VDS’s Scott Redding won the ‘Battle of the Brits’ as he pulled off his the best result of his MotoGP career in front of his passionate home support. Fellow Brit Bradley Smith on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha was a further second back, after a race long battle with his team-mate Pol Espargaro, who crashed out at turn 3 of lap 14.
Andrea Iannone finished in eighth place ahead of the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR of Aleix Espargaro, in ninth. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista secured the squad's first top-10 finish since returning to the premier class.
LCR Honda’s duo of Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller both made great starts to the race and found themselves battling for the final podium spot. But Miller took out his British team-mate at Vale on the third lap, and both were forced to retire.
Stefan Bradl also crashed out of the race with eight laps to go.
Race results:
1. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 46:15.617
2. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing 46:18.627
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team 46:19.734
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 46:21.343
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 46:26.749
6. Scott Redding GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 46:41.084
7. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 46:42.334
8. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team 46:45.010
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar 46:54.432
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini 46:57.329
11. Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar 47:0.393
12. Nicky Hayden USA Aspar MotoGP Team 47:8.106
13. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing 47:26.828
14. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing 47:30.909
15. Alex De Angelis RSM E-Motion IodaRacing 47:33.480
16. Loris Baz FRA Forward Racing 47:34.927
17. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team 47:35.352
18. Claudio Corti ITA Forward Racing 48:13.703
19. Karel Abraham CZE AB Motoracing +1 lap
DNF. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3
DNF. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team
DNF. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini
DNF. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda
DNF. Jack Miller AUS LCR Honda
DNF. Yonny Hernandez COL Octo Pramac Racing
