Stoner wins incident-packed British Grand Prix

The Australian moves to the top of the championship standings as a result, crossing the line comfortably ahead of Repsol Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, while Colin Edwards claimed an excellent third place for Tech 3 Yamaha.

The race got underway in similar conditions to those seen in warm-up, with consistent drizzle falling over an already rain-sodden track surface. Lorenzo stormed into the lead at the first corner, while Stoner slipped further back to third when Dovizioso found a way past within the Arena complex. Second place starter Simoncelli also lost out early on, dropping to fourth after a challenging first lap.

Dovizioso and Stoner were able to get in front of Lorenzo as they approached Stowe for the first time, just moments before the Honda duo switched places on the second tour. Stoner managed to reassert himself at the front of the field by tucking in behind his team-mate along the pit-straight at the end of the first lap, diving up the inside at the high-speed Abbey corner before constructing a strong lead.

After getting past Lorenzo, Simoncelli looked set to challenge the Honda riders, but a small mistake at the first corner saw him slip back once again. After this, the top four remained closely bunched together, with the order remaining stable for a few laps. In the meantime, Edwards had progressed up to sixth place for Tech 3, putting in one of his finest performances despite a broken collarbone.

Drama ensued with 12 laps to go, as factory Yamaha duo Ben Spies and Lorenzo crashed out in the space of half a minute. Both men were unharmed, but Lorenzo was visibly frustrated with a mistake that ultimately cost him the lead in the championship. Stoner set the fastest lap of the race moments later, later being informed via his pit-board that his main rival was out of the running.

The incidents failed to stop there, as third place man Simoncelli crashed out in similar style at the same corner. The Italian was chasing down compatriot Dovizioso for second, but a puddle of water at Abbey caught him out and sent him sliding into the gravel. From this point onwards it was a relatively smooth run to a 1-2 finish for Stoner and Dovizioso, while Edwards held off Nicky Hayden for third.

Álvaro Bautista was next up for the Rizla Suzuki squad, finishing some eight seconds further down the road. Seven-time Champion Valentino Rosso was able to salvage a strong points finish after a challenging weekend at the Northamptonshire venue, grabbing sixth ahead of Karel Abraham. Toni Elias continued the promising wet weather pace he demonstrated in warm-up, keeping his composure to stay ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama and Loris Capirossi who completed the top ten.