Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo leapfrogged Casey Stoner to the top of the MotoGP standings after winning an incident-packed Spanish Grand Prix after Stoner crashed out in a collision with Valentino Rossi.
The Spanish Yamaha rider Lorenzo, second behind Stoner at the season opener in Qatar last month, finished ahead of compatriot Dani Pedrosa on a slippery Jerez circuit in rainy Andalusia.
American Ducati rider Nicky Hayden was third.
Seven-times world champion Rossi of Italy had stormed from 12th on the grid to third when he attempted to overtake Stoner with 20 laps remaining.
As he edged past on the inside his bike slipped from under him and the two machines collided and slid off the track.
Ducati rider Rossi was able to continue and finished in fifth, while an angry-looking Stoner's race was over.
Marco Simoncelli of Honda crashed when leading with 16 laps remaining and Lorenzo's American team mate Ben Spies was ahead of Pedrosa in second when he slid off into the gravel with three laps left.
