2001 Grand Prix 500 - Round 5

Can Rossi do it again? Check out the grid.

Roberts got the jump followed by Capirossi, Biaggi and Rossi. Mark Willis got a great start and made up a number of places from the rear of the grid after mechanical trouble plagued him during qualifying.

Rossi tried to go around Biaggi but ran himself wide when the move failed and he lost a position to Barros.

Capirossi got Roberts at the end of lap 1 but Roberts got him right back. Biaggi through on Capirossi for 2nd and out after Rossi.

Biaggi right on Roberts and starting to challenge, there it is, Biaggi into the lead with 20 laps to go, but runs wide in turn one, Roberts back through.

Max back through on Roberts for the lead. Capirossi comes from seemingly nowhere to take Roberts for 2nd and nearly also made it through on Max.

Biaggi, Barros, Rossi, Capirossi is the race order 2 laps later. A few small drops of rain coming down now in certain parts of the circuit. 3 wide down the straight, at the end of it Barros comes out in front from Biaggi and Rossi. The boys put their hands up to signal to the officials that it is too dangerous to continue on slicks. So now they will go back a lap and re-start the race.

So the boys in the pits and changing to wets. Out on the warm-up lap and Rossi bins it, the young Italian star has actually dumped it during warm-up.

Wet start - Biaggi gets off the line well but Barros got him in turn 1. Haga up in to 5th! Biaggi back through on Barros in the middle of the lap but Barros gets him back right away. Roberts under Biaggi. West around 8th!

Haga on a charge and swapping places with Abe.

Race order - Biaggi, Barros, Roberts, Capirossi, Ukawa, Abe, Haga, West. Only a few corners later it was Roberts, Barros and Biaggi running 1-2-3.

Barros in the lead now from Roberts. Biaggi nearly a second further back in 3rd with Norick Abe right on his tail.

A lap later it was Roberts in the lead from Barros and Biaggi. (Remember this commentary from after the re-start talks of track position rather than combined time).

Half race distance now - Roberts, Barros, Biaggi, Abe, Ukawa, Haga.

Lap 15 of 22 now and Roberts lead the race on the track from Barros, Abe and then a big surprise showing in the wet from Aoki. Lap 16 now and Abe now leading on the track from Aoki, Roberts and Barros.

Abe fell on lap 20, 3 corners later Roberts also down. Aoki leading on the track but back in 8th place on aggregate time. Barros leads on combined timing. Rossi is in 3rd on combined timing.

Rossi through on Capirossi on the final lap for 2nd on combined timing with half a lap to go. But Rossi down! Rossi down and out, Barros wins the race on combined timing.