First, from the first corner to the last ! go VR46!

'My mechanic said to me 'first from the first corner to the last' and I say, 'this is a good idea – I will try!'' - Valentino Rossi.

• Valentino Rossi led from pole position to win in front of Jorge Lorenzo
• First time in 37-year-old's top class career he has secured pole, led every lap and recorded the fastest lap as veteran dominated in Spanish GP
• Marc Marquez took third for Honda behind two Yamaha riders in Jerez
• Marquez maintained title lead in front of Lorenzo and Rossi 
• Great Britain's Sam Lowes won in Moto2 to take championship lead

Rossi, who took his career tally to 113 race wins with his first of the season, now sits in third place in the standings on 58 points, with Lorenzo second on 64 and Marquez clear with 82.

'I think this was the perfect weekend because we started to go faster from Friday morning,' Rossi told.


When I was on the grid, I know that I can have a good pace but in the race it is always more difficult. My mechanic said to me 'first from the first corner to the last' and I say, 'this is a good idea – I will try!'

“I did a good start and I feel good with the bike from the beginning, I had good grip. I started to her the noise a little bit more far [of chasing riders], so I think that I can have a small advantage,” he added.

“I tried to push and I take it lap by lap and it was the best feeling that I can expect.”

Rossi experienced the same issue with rear wheel-spin on the straights with the medium Michelin that affected Lorenzo and admitted he was forced to slacken his pace to guard against the potential for creating an even bigger problem.

“We had a lot of spin in the straight and this is very strange, but it happen also yesterday in practice – I feel a little bit, today more,” Rossi said.

“In the last 10 or 12 laps, I spin very much, especially in the front straight and I start to be worried and slow down, because I had the worry that the tyre start to become too hot and start to make a vibration.

“I go on the straight with half-throttle so I don't spin and I slow down a little bit, but the good thing is that anyway the bike and the tyres work well in the corners so I can stay on 1'40.8 or 1'40.9 and I understand it was enough.







'We worked very well with the team. I had a good start, we had good pace and I felt good with the bike from the beginning.'

The next race takes place at Le Mans on May 8.
MOTO-GP SPANISH GRAND PRIX RESULTS

1 Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 45mins 28.834

2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 45:31.220

3 Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda 45:35.921

4 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 45:39.185

5 Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Suzuki 45:42.977

6 Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki 45:45.606

7 Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati 45:55.111

8 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 45:59.584

9 Eugene Laverty (Gbr) Ducati 46:01.159

10 Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 46:01.458

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1 Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda 82pts

2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 65

3 Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 58

4 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 40

5 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 36

6 Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki 33

7 Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Suzuki 32

8 Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 31

9 Eugene Laverty (Gbr) Ducati 28

10 Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati 25