Italian Marco Melandri, riding a Honda, won the Turkish MotoGP in Istanbul on Sunday ahead of world champion Valentino Rossi, who failed in his bid to equal the season’s win record of legendary Australian Mick Doohan.
American Nicky Hayden came third as Melandri, the 2002 champion in the 250cc category, took his first grand-prix victory at the inaugural Turkish MotoGP, the 16th and penultimate race of the world championship.
Starting from second position next to his Spanish stablemate Sete Gibernau, Melandri moved into the lead from the first bend.
Gibernau pulled ahead on the fourth lap and went on to enjoy two laps in the lead before he left the course and fell back to sixth position.
Gibernau finally finished the race in fourth.
”I haven’t won a race since Valencia in 2002, so this is the perfect way to end a wonderful weekend for me,” said Melandri, who had stood on the top step of the 250cc and 125cc podiums on 17 occasions before moving up to the MotoGP class in 2003.
”I was disappointed to lose pole position on Saturday, but it taught me an important lesson for today and I just tried to ride without putting pressure on myself.
”I had fun and focused on my rhythm; even when Valentino got close, I just kept taking it lap by lap. I have had bad luck and injuries this year, so to come back and end the season like this is unbelievable.”
Rossi began fourth in the grid, and despite a terrible start the Italian moved back into contention behind Melandri, Gibernau and Hayden.
He managed to overtake the American on the seventh lap, although Hayden eventually pulled it back.
Rossi, with 11 wins this season, had been hoping to set another marker on the all-new Istanbul course.
If he had won, the Italian — a seven-time world champion in all categories — would have equalled the double record of Doohan, who claimed 12 victories in one season and 54 in total in racing’s top category.
Rossi can no longer beat Doohan’s records this season, although the flamboyant Italian will have a chance to pull level with both in the final race of the season at Valencia. — Sapa-AFP