MotoGP: Stunning Pedrosa wins race 3000

Dani Pedrosa has taken an imperious victory in the Spanish Grand Prix by storming away from his first pole position since Sepang 2015 and never looking back. The MotoGP race in Jerez was race number 3000 in the World Championship and one of the riders equal third on all-time podiums proved a fitting winner. Reigning champion Marc Marquez made inroads in the points battle in second, ahead of a stunning home ride from another five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo, sharing the podium with Pedrosa to keep the parity at 146 rostrum finishes apiece for the former nemeses.

The gap fluctuated at the front but Marquez was unable to make any real impression on Pedrosa’s lead, with the three-time World Champion pulling the pin in the final laps to cross the line in clear air for another stunning win – making it 16 years in a row the Spaniard has taken at least one victory in the World Championship.

Lorenzo had an incredible race on home soil for a first podium with Ducati, moving past Zarco after a positive weekend all round and pulling away to jubilation for Lorenzo as he pulled into parc ferme. Zarco took fourth in another scintillating performance for the reigning Moto2 world champion, ahead of an impressive fight back for Andrea Dovizioso to get past Viñales after the Spaniard made a mistake.

However, the race also saw a number of crashes, with Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Iannone, Pol Espargaró and Alvaro Bautista falling out of contention – with Bautista taking the luckless Jack Miller with him in the process.

Scott Redding was the best of the Brits in 11^th, with Bradley Smith taking home his first KTM points in 14^th and Sam Lowes recording his best MotoGP result in 16^th.