Jorge Lorenzo put the hammer down to break clear of
Dani Pedrosa and win Sunday's Italian Grand prix at Mugello, extending his championship leader over the Repsol Honda rider
Starting from second on the grid, Lorenzo sliced under pole man Pedrosa at the apex of turn one and was never headed.
The Factory Yamaha star initially struggle to shake-off his fellow Spaniard, who set the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 of 23 and was just over one-second behind at the midway point.
However Pedrosa couldn't sustain such a searing pace in the second half of the race and Lorenzo pulled 5.223 seconds clear by the finish line, despite waving to the final during the final lap.
“From the beginning I felt great on this track, the asphalt was completely different to Sachsenring which was a nightmare for us. From the first practice here I felt very strong, very good on the bike and a fast constant pace,” said Lorenzo.
Lorenzo's only glitch during the whole weekend came in the form of an electronics malfunction that denied him a final shot at pole position. “It was a pity that we had the problem in the last lap of qualifying but the important thing was the race.”
The 2010 champion describes his riding style as a mix of smooth 'butter' or flat out 'hammer', which he applies as needed. On Sunday it was the 'hammer' that won it.
“Today I was 'hammering' a lot to open a gap at the beginning of the race as I thought my competitors would have problems on cold tyres. Unfortunately I couldn't do it immediately,” he said.
“Only 'hammering' every lap and going faster and faster from 1m 48.1 then into the 47s could I open a bit to Pedrosa then little by little it got better and I could start to breathe. It's been a great win for the whole team's efforts and for Yamaha who have given me such a good bike.”
Team manager Wilco Zeelenberg added: “Dani had good pace but Jorge was more consistent and was able to break away step by step. A six second lead in this category is a good one!”
Lorenzo's fifth win of the season puts him 19-points clear of nearest rival Pedrosa and 37-points ahead of reigning champion Casey Stoner, after nine of 18 rounds.
Lorenzo will join his fellow
MotoGP riders in a test at Mugello on Monday.
Team-mate Ben Spies finished eleventh in the race, having struggled with the effects of suspected food poisoning.