Times can change and that's certainly the case between Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), as the Mallorcan clapped his compatriot on the back for his stunning win on the Riviera di Rimini. The rivalry that characterized their relationship in the 250 world championship and during their first years sharing the MotoGP™ grid has changed a lot since the two then went on to lead Spain's charge into the MotoGP™ history books, and the Mallorcan had only a tip of the hat for Pedrosa after his stunning charge from P8. Starting from a record-breaking pole, Lorenzo led the early laps before then completing the podium in P3.
Jorge Lorenzo (P3): "Today was Dani's day and he had everything perfect. He rode unbelievably. He really deserved this victory because he's fought a lot during this period and it's been a tough time. I tried all race to close the gap but today wasn't my day. They were faster and I just have to accept it. In some corners I had some trouble but by the end the bike was working quite well. The hard tyre wasn't for us, the medium was good but the soft we don't know because we didn't try it. Maybe we could have done in Warm Up. Valentino was so consistent and I just needed one or two tenths more - so I can't be very happy but I can't be really disappointed because I'm on the podium and I did my best today."