• Home
• /
• F1

Lorenzo clinches maiden MotoGP title

Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo clinched his maiden MotoGP world title with a comfortable third-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

By (Reuters)

• Follow us on
• 
• 
• 

Published: Sun 10 Oct 2010, 5:56 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 4:53 AM

The Yamaha rider only needed a top-10 finish to lift the title with three races remaining and he sealed the crown with something to spare.

After starting on pole position the 23-year-old took few risks, easing off with two laps remaining and pulling a celebratory wheelie along the home straight and across the finish line.

Yamaha team mate and outgoing world champion Valentino Rossi put in a vintage performance to win the race ahead of Italian compatriot Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda, but the day belonged to Lorenzo, who never looked in danger after making a smooth start.

Lorenzo’s triumph was assisted by injuries to his main rivals, Rossi and the absent Dani Pedrosa, but the Spaniard celebrated in style, flanked by team members dressed as video game characters as the rider held up a ‘Game Over’ sign.

‘Today is the happiest day of my life and I am looking forward to celebrating it. It’s a dream come true and it doesn’t get any better than this,’ Lorenzo told reporters.

‘There are a lot of people to thank for what I achieved today and it’s difficult to put it into words at the moment.’

Dovizioso also made an impressive start and was all over Lorenzo on an eventful first lap in which Rossi pushed back to 11^th place and Australian Casey Stoner’s hopes of a repeat Malaysia victory were dashed with a crash on the final bend.

BRIDGED GAP

The leading pair pulled away from the chasing pack as fan-favourite Rossi delighted his massed local support base by weaving his way through the field to third place in hot pursuit of a sixth Malaysian victory in the premier class.

Rossi bridged the gap to the leading duo just as Dovizioso took the lead on the start of lap nine, with Lorenzo appearing to be settling for a top-three finish.

‘I was happy to be able to defend my front-row position until almost the end of the race,’ Lorenzo added.

‘Once the tyres started sliding, I felt we just needed to finish and get the maximum points available.’

The threat of rain never materialised and the packed grandstand was soon on its feet when Rossi took the lead on lap 11, passing Lorenzo and Dovizioso as the 20-lap race became a dogfight between the Italians.

Rossi and Dovizioso swapped positions twice on the 16^th lap before the former put enough daylight between himself and his compatriot to take the chequered flag for the first time since the opening race of the season in Qatar.

The race was watched by more than 62,000 mostly Rossi fans and the 31-year-old, who rides with the number 46 on his bike, was delighted to register a landmark win for the team he is nearing the end of a successful seven-year association with.

‘This is my 46^th victory with Yamaha so it is an important milestone,’ said Rossi, who won four world titles with Yamaha but will move to Ducati next season.

‘I missed the start and was 11^th on the first lap but knew straight away that I had great pace. Lap-by-lap, I was able to fight my way back to the leaders,’ he added.

‘I then needed to use up all my remaining energy to stay on the pace so I am happy to have come through with the win.

‘I’d like to thank Yamaha for the seven years I have been with them and I would like to congratulate Jorge (Lorenzo) for a deserved championship win, he is a great champion.’

Earlier, Spain’s Toni Elias wrapped up the Moto2 title with a fourth-place finish which opened an insurmountable 91-point lead with three races remaining.