Rossi edges teammate Lorenzo by .0095 after epic duel; Three riders tied for series lead

INDIANAPOLIS, June 15, 2009: Six-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi edged his Fiat Yamaha teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, by .0095 of a second to win the Catalunya Grand Prix on June 14 at Barcelona, Spain.

The victory pushed inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Rossi into a three-way tie with Lorenzo and 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner atop the MotoGP standings at 106 points. Ducati Team leader Stoner finished third at the Circuit de Catalunya, 8.884 seconds behind Rossi but less than a tenth of a second ahead of Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Does it get any better than this?

“As we say in Italy, ‘Mamma Mia!’” Rossi said. “I think I can honestly say that this was one of the best and hardest wins of my career. What a championship this is. Now I am going to go to sleep for quite a long time because I need to recover from this excitement.” It was Rossi’s second victory of the season and the 99th of his World Championship career in all classes. He dedicated the victory to his crew chief Jeremy Burgess, whose mother died Saturday, June 13.

Americans Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden finished seventh and 10th, respectively.

Lorenzo led from pole, but Rossi moved to the front on Lap 3, with Stoner close behind. Rossi and Lorenzo then gradually pulled away from Stoner, who was weakened by stomach cramps in the 104-degree air temperatures.

On Lap 13 of the 25-lap race, Lorenzo passed Rossi to regain the lead. The teammates stayed wheel-to-wheel for the next 10 laps before Rossi sliced past Lorenzo to retake the lead on Lap 23.

Lorenzo outbraked Rossi into Turn 1 on the final lap to seize the lead. Rossi and Lorenzo traded the lead two more times that lap, with Lorenzo appearing to have an incredible home victory with two turns to go. But Rossi pulled to Lorenzo’s rear wheel and made a perfect inside pass for the lead in the 13th and final corner of the last lap to pull off a spellbinding win.

Edwards, from Houston, again was plagued by lack of front-end grip on his Yamaha Tech 3 machine, this time in dry conditions after having the same problem on a wet track last month at Le Mans and Mugello.

Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., showed improved form on his Ducati Team machine all weekend. He was sixth quickest in practice Friday and qualified 13th, but just three-tenths of a second from fifth, after his team changed nearly his entire bike setup for this weekend.

The 10th place was Hayden’s best finish of the season.

The next race is the TT Assen on Saturday, June 27 at Assen, Netherlands. The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.