MotoGP 2017: Dani Pedrosa wins on home soil at Spanish GP
Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa took his first MotoGP win this season on home soil at the Spanish GP. With a good start from pole position, Pedrosa managed to hold the lead right up to the end of the 3,000th MotoGP race. His teammate, Marc Marquez, took second place initially but he was soon in a battle with LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) quickly made his way past Movistar Yamaha's Valentino Rossi and eventually got behind Marquez. Meanwhile, Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo made his way up the ranks, getting past Rossi and his teammate, Maverick Viñales. Zarco managed to get past Marquez but only briefly, before the reigning champion regained second place. Crutchlow soon slid off the track, and so did Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), after a short tousle with Viñales.
Finishing second behind Pedrosa was Marquez, while Lorenzo, who got past Zarco, finished third to take his first podium this season. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) finished fifth, while Viñales, Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Racing, Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) took sixth , seventh, eighth and ninth. Rossi, who struggled with tyre life due to the hot temperatures, completed the top 10.
Rossi still leads the overall standings with 62 points, while Viñales is second, just two points behind him. Marc Marquez stands at third with 58 points while Pedrosa is fourth with 52.