MotoGP Spain: Dani Pedrosa claims first victory of season, leads from start to finish in Jerez

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa led from start to finish to win his home Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday while Italian great Valentino Rossi clung on to the overall MotoGP lead after finishing a distant 10th for Yamaha.

The victory, a one-two for the works Honda team who had reigning champion Marc Marquez finish 6.136 seconds behind, was Pedrosa’s first on Spanish soil since the 31-year-old won at Jerez in 2013.

It was also his first in MotoGP since San Marino last September and continued his streak of winning a race in every season he has been in the top flight since 2006.

Jorge Lorenzo took third place, the triple MotoGP champion’s first podium for Ducati since his move from Yamaha, completing a Spanish sweep of the podium places in motorcycling’s 3,000th world championship grand prix.

Rossi’s lead was cut to two points over Spanish teammate Maverick Vinales, who finished sixth in the race, with the 38-year-old Italian now on 62 after four races. Vinales has 60, Marquez 58 and Pedrosa 52.

Pedrosa, the third different winner in four races, had started on pole for the first time since 2015 and pulled away at the start but it was not a comfortable afternoon for the little Catalan.

“It …read more