OFF ROAD
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 12/OCTOBER 10, 2015
TWIN RING MOTEGI/MOTEGI, JAPAN
P58
endipitous tactical triumph, as he caught and
passed both Movistar Yamaha riders. Tires,
and their preservation, were the key.
The conditions–still wet, but with a dry-
ing line, especially in the seven hard brak-
ing areas–had thrown a twist into the race,
and into the championship. With Valentino
Rossi following Pedrosa past a slowing Jorge
Lorenzo, who had been clearly fastest in full
wet as well as full dry conditions, the Old
Master left with his narrow title lead extend-
ed. This was against all expectations.
Pedrosa had elected to use a harder rear
wet, but when he saw everyone else (bar the
distant Scott Redding and Nicky Hayden)
had softs, he changed on the grid "to have
the same tools." But the tire was brand new
and forced a cautious pace in the early laps.
