The 2-time 250cc world champion had a great French Grand Prix this afternoon and needed only 10 laps to get into the lead, which he never let go until the finish line. It was Rossi who started off great, claiming 1st place at the first corner ahead of Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo, but the reigning world champion was unable to resist his younger teammate in the first part of the race.
Lorenzo quickly passed Pedrosa for 2nd place and then took the lead in Lap 7, only to lose it to Rossi in the same lap. Three circuit lengths later, Lorenzo overtook the Italian once again, only this time his race pace helped him build up a strong lead that was to ensure his second consecutive win in 2010.
Rossi didn’t push himself too hard in the second part of the race, as he settled for the runner-up spot, while plenty of seconds ahead of the next pack of drivers fighting for 3rd place: Honda’s Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati’s Nicky Hayden.
Australian rider Casey Stoner was forced to retire for the second time this season in France, as he slid out of the track in Turn 6 of the second lap and never got to rejoin the field. He was followed a few minutes later by Tech 3 Yamaha’s Ben Spies and Suzuki’s veteran Loris Capirossi.
Under the circumstances, the battle for 3rd place became the most thrilling of the day, with Pedrosa leading the other two riders when entering the final lap. In the last few kilometers of the race however, both Dovizioso and Hayden managed to pass the Honda rider, dropping him to a disappointing 5th place.
In front of the race, Lorenzo had already claimed the French GP win by more than 5.6 seconds ahead of Rossi, extending his lead in the overall classification to 9 points. Following Pedrosa in 5th place, Marco Melandri and Randy de Puniet finished in 6th and 7th respectively, while followed by Hector Barbera, Aleix Espargaro and Marco Simoncelli.
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