Casey Stoner made a stunning return to form at the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Estoril circuit this weekend. The Australian rider, who has been out of action for two months and missed three races due to his still unidentified illness, finished the race on the podium after coming in second. The result earned him twenty championship points, leaving him just three adrift of third place Dani Pedrosa.
The same success, sadly, could not be transferred to team mate Nicky Hayden. The American finished in a disappointing eighth place after being outstripped by Dovizioso and Elias early in the race.
One man who could not be touched this weekend was wonder-kid Jorge Lorenzo, who won the race by an incredible 6.2 seconds. The twenty-one-year-old Spanish rider, decked out in leathers and helmet designed to look like a spacesuit, celebrated the victory with a tongue-in-cheek re-enactment of the moon landing on the trackside.
World Champion Valentino Rossi suffered a disappointing race after having problems with traction on the circuit. He ended the day in fourth place, a full 23 seconds behind team mate Lorenzo.
There was also misfortune for Mika Kallio, who crashed out after only six laps in a miscalculated cornering manoeuvre. Suzuki rider Capirossi and Honda’s Alex De Angelis were both removed from the race after having technical problems with their bikes.
Lone Brit James Toseland, who will be making a move back to World Superbikes at the end of the 2009 season after being replaced on Yamaha’s satellite team by Ben Spies, finished ninth.
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