Jorge Lorenzo wins in Jerez after mastering wet conditions

Nicky Hayden completed the podium for Ducati, after Colin Edwards retired from the final spot on the rostrum on the last lap.

Rain started falling before the race got underway, and heavy clouds remained overhead. Casey Stoner was able to retain his lead from pole position, but team-mate Pedrosa had a disastrous opening lap. The Spaniard dropped to ninth from second on just one tour, as he struggled to find enough grip on-track.

Marco Simoncelli began a charge just a few laps in, and made his way past Lorenzo before taking the lead from Stoner soon after. There was a lot of drama to follow, as Rossi made a lunge up the inside of Stoner into Turn 1 for third, but fell off his bike in the process and took the Australian out of the race with 20 laps to go.

Rossi was able to continue, but his compatriot Simoncelli was the next man to make a crucial error, and he was forced to retire from the lead. The Honda Gresini rider’s mistake also came at Turn 1, and he was visibly disappointed after missing out on a possible maiden victory in the category. 

Lorenzo moved into the lead as a result of the incident, and settled into a strong rhythm over the next few laps ahead of Pedrosa who had charged back through to second. Further down the field, Karel Abraham and Cal Crutchlow were other riders who made visits to the gravel, losing a handful of positions to their rivals in the process.

Ben Spies slid into the gravel moments later, as the American misjudged his braking zone soon after getting past Pedrosa for second place. Lorenzo crossed the line with a lead of almost 20 seconds, while Hayden was able to steal a podium finish when Colin Edwards retired on the final lap.