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Shanghai has the longest straight in the Grand Prix season so it was always a safe bet that the Ducati's straight line speed advantage would make itself felt and so it did. The first time they hit the main straight Stoner went from fourth to second and then on the next straight he went into first ahead of Rossi. That pretty much set the tone for the race (just like Qatar), Stoner would disappear down the straights and Rossi would haul him back and sometimes pass him on the twisty part of the circuit. With six laps to go Rossi attempted a pass on Stoner late on the brakes and his front started to tuck which forced him to run off the corner. He got back on to the circuit but lost a place to Hopkins' Suzuki. The Doctor clawed back second but it was to late for him to catch Stoner's Ducati. To be fair to Stoner he rode an excellent race, he used the advantages of his bike and no matter how much pressure Rossi applied he never lost his cool. Amazingly this is his third win of the season so far.
Rossi seemed happy enough to take second, presumably he's looking forward to scalping the Ducati on the slower European circuits.
But that isn't the big news. I mentioned Hopkins in third; that's the big news! Yes John Hopkins has finally got that podium position he so richly deserves. Time for his first win now! He rode an excellent race. He dropped to fourth in the early laps but then came back up the field where he held onto Rossi's tail for the majority of the race. He looked cool, composed and fast. Got to love the way he rides the wheels of that Zuki.
Pedrosa seemed content to circulate in fourth for the majority of the race and seemed to be complaining about a tyre issue at the end of the race.
Another torrid race for Hayden, knocked of the circuit and even though he got back on the tarmac it pretty much stuffed his race.
It was a good race for Bridgestone with only two Michelin shod bikes in the top nine (Rossi and Pedrosa). It looks to me like the Michelin qualifiers are great but that their race tyres aren't quite up to the Bridgestone race tyres.
Oh and what the hell happened to Edwards, he dropped from a third place start all the way down to eleventh?