Rossi wins as Lorenzo secures title

Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi won the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix on October 11, in which third place was enough for his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo to be crowned the 2010 MotoGP world champion, only the second Spaniard to clinch the premier GP title after Alex Criville.

Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) finished second to take the other podium spot.

“This is really the maximum a motorcycle rider can achieve in his career so we have to celebrate and enjoy these hours, minutes and seconds like it's the end of the world,” said Lorenzo. “You imagine this moment in your head your whole life but when it comes you don't know how to act or what to say.

“I am trying to be relaxed, to speak clearly and not say anything crazy! I'm so tired right now; I just need to be alone in a room for a few minutes, just thinking about what I've done!”

After finishing the race, the Yamaha rider held up a placard that read "Game over" while curiously being flanked by Italian videogame characters Mario and Liugi. Could it have been the first shot fired in a new war with outgoing Italian team mate Valentino Rossi and his new Italian team Ducati? Let the games begin...

An emotional Jorge Lorenzo continued: “I want to thank so many people, it's difficult to find the words, but I have to mention Yamaha, all my team, Bridgestone and everyone involved. And of course thank you very much to my fans, who have been with me every step of the way.

“The perfect situation today would have been to win, but it wasn't to be this time. I made a good start and was riding well and I thought I could go away from Andrea at one point, but then he overtook me and then Valentino as well, and I thought there were too many risks today to fight for the victory; it was better to wait until the end of the race.”

Pole sitter Lorenzo got off to a fantastic start and led into turn one as the race got underway, but Rossi’s getaway from the starting grid was not so swift and he had dropped as low as 11th on the opening lap.

A candidate for the race victory, Australia’s Casey Stoner (Ducati) suffered a huge disappointment when he crashed out on the opening lap, bringing to an end his race.

That will now give Stoner extra motivation to put on a real show for his home fans at this weekend’s IVECO Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

Dovizioso stuck with Lorenzo and the pair established a slight gap at the front, but by only the third lap Rossi had recovered to fourth position as he set his sights on the leaders. Soon he was into third and closing in further on Dovizioso.

Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaró (Ducati) were both unfortunate crashers, while Colin Edwards (Yamaha) also experienced difficulties that meant he failed to finish .

Meanwhile, Rossi was repeatedly laying down fast laps as he homed in and just past the midway point of the race the Italian took the lead, having first passed Lorenzo and then Dovizioso. The two Italians swapped first position again in what was a thrilling fight to the end.

Rossi was not to be denied his second win of the season however and crossed the line 0.224 seconds ahead of Dovizioso, with Lorenzo in third and cementing the 2010 title with his 13th podium of the season as the celebrations started.

“I rode so well and it was a fantastic race, one of the best of my career I think,” said Rossi. “I wanted this 46th win so much because as everyone knows it's a special number for me!

“To win like this, from 11th at the first corner, is a great feeling.

“I want to say congratulations to Yamaha and to Jorge; he has been fast all season, at all tracks and in all conditions and he deserves to be the world champion.”

Ben Spies (Yamaha) took fourth position with rookie Álvaro Bautista (Suzuki) equalling his season’s best result in fifth. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) followed, with Marco Simoncelli (Honda) eighth having battled closely with former 250cc rival Aoyama. Marco Melandri (Honda) and Randy de Puniet (Honda) completed the top 10.

Queenslander Anthony West (MZ) was 24th in the Moto2 race, just won by Roberto Rolfo (Suter) over Alex de Angelis (Motobo). But like Rossi, Rolfo's win was overshadowed by Toni Elias (Moriwaki), who wrapped up the championship with three rounds to spare.

Wayne Maxwell and Alex Cudlin will also join the Moto2 field at Phillip Island this weekend, as well as a posse of local wildcards in the 125ccc class.

Click on the following link to buy tickets to the 2010 IVECO Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, which which also feature national support races for superbike, supersport and historic competitors.