Results Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul, Turkey

[Andy]

Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park

Sunday April 22, 2007

ELIAS FIGHTS TO SECOND, DANI TAKEN OUT ON LAP ONE

A dramatic MotoGP race unfolded in front of a

40,000 crowd here at Istanbul Park with Casey

Stoner (Ducati) winning from Toni Elias (Gresini

Honda RC212V) with Loris Capirossi (Ducati)

third. But a first lap incident took Dani Pedrosa

(Repsol Honda RC212V) out of the race.

Elias started from 10th on the grid after a

mediocre qualifying performance, but his race

efforts were huge and he willed himself through

the field to the podium although he could not catch the runaway Stoner.

In sunny conditions with negligible wind, 23

degrees ambient temperature and the track

gradually warming up throughout the day to 38

degrees, the conditions were set for a full

throttle encounter over 22-laps of this demanding 5.430km track.

Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) who struggled to reach

the flag in tenth at the end, got the holeshot

from the lights and led the pack into the tricky

off-camber, downhill left that is turn one. His

team-mate Colin Edwards was in close pursuit along with Stoner and Capirossi.

But there was to be drama on this opening lap.

First leader Rossi ran wide on the exit of the

high-speed uphill turn 11 slipping down the order

to fifth. But behind him into the final

three-turn complex, chaos ensued as Olivier

Jacque (Kawasaki) clipped Pedrosa