FIM MotoGP World Championship Sepang, Malaysia October 10, 2010 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 20 laps, 41:03.448 2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (HONDA), -0.224 second 3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), -6.035 seconds 4. Ben SPIES, USA (YAMAHA), -13.676 5. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (SUZUKI), -15.402 6. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -18.826 7. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (HONDA), -20.218 8. Marco SIMONCELLI, Italy (HONDA), -23.574 9. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (HONDA), -23.964 10. Randy DE PUNIET, France (HONDA), -31.850 11. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -38.579 12. Mika KALLIO, Finland (DUCATI), -38.849 13. Colin EDWARDS, USA (YAMAHA), -6 laps, crash 14. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (DUCATI), -14 laps, DNF, crash 15. Loris CAPIROSSI, Italy (SUZUKI), -16 laps, DNF, retired 16. Casey STONER, Australia (DUCATI), -20 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 15 of 18 races): 1. Lorenzo, 313 points, clinches World Championship 2. Dani Pedrosa, 228 3. Rossi, 181 4. Stoner, 180 5. Dovizioso, 179 6. Spies, 152 7. Nicky Hayden, 139 8. De Puniet, 94 9. Simoncelli, 92 10. Melandri, 86 11. Edwards, 81 12. Barbera, 74 13. Bautista, 69 14. Espargaro, 52 15. Aoyama, 44 16. Capirossi, 41 17. Kallio, 38 18. Alex De Angelis, 11 19. Roger Hayden, 5 20. Kousuke Akiyoshi, 4 21. Wataru Yoshikawa, 1 More, from a press release issued by Interwetten Honda: Aoyama finishes Sepang race in Top 7 The Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang ended today with the best result so far this season for Hiroshi Aoyama and the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team. Aoyama finished the race on 7th place and underlined that there is more to come from him as the race could have finish one or two positions higher for him, if there would not have been the aggressive actions of his long time congruent Marco Simoncelli, whit who he already was fighting for the world championship last year. Aoyama was able to fight in the middle group, which was fighting for 4th position and could ride an exciting race with a lot of position changes. The whole team worked hard for this achievement and is now looking forward to Phillip Island, where the last of the three consecutive overseas races will take place next weekend. Hiroshi Aoyama, 7 – 41’23.666: “The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit and also technical it was not much more possible under these conditions. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider. Then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have leaded this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs. But Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and touched me a couple of times and I had to make him place not to risk anything. The seventh place is the best result so far in this season and my team worked very hard to achieve this. I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.” Tom Jojic, Crew Chief “Hiro could have been better without the action of Simoncelli, but we are satisfied with the result. In lap seven Hiro’s lap time matched the lap time of Lorenzo. This shows that he can go with the group and we look forward to Phillip Island now.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: DOVIZIOSO SECOND IN SEPANG THRILLER Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso led an enthralling Malaysian Grand Prix multiple times today and battled with Valentino Rossi right to the chequered flag, crossing the line just 0.224s behind his countryman to score a valuable second place finish. It was a gripping race, with Dovizioso and Rossi trading the lead and matching each other’s blistering pace in 33 degree heat at the Sepang track. It was the second time in as many races that Dovizioso has been the main challenger for victory, and follows his second place finish in Japan two weeks ago. The 24-year-old was quick off the line and slotted in behind early pace-setter Jorge Lorenzo before taking the lead for the first time on lap nine. Dovizioso then led for two laps before being passed by Rossi, and the pair were tied together for the rest of the race. At the start of lap 16, Dovizioso took the lead once more, only for Rossi to take him back later in the same lap. Doviz ioso did all he could to mount a challenge on the final lap and closed to within a quarter of a second as the duo flashed across the line. Despite narrowly missing victory, the Repsol Honda rider was pleased with today’s result and the consistency displayed by achieving another strong result in very different conditions to his second place last weekend. Curiously, the Italian slipped one place in the World Championship to fifth, in spite of Casey Stoner’s retirement following a fall. But the battle for third place is now very close, with Rossi on 181 points in third, Stoner in fourth on 180, and Dovizioso with 179 points. Dovizioso’s target for the rest of the season remains third in the championship. Today Jorge Lorenzo won the MotoGP world title by earning 16 points with his third place finish. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was the only rider with a mathematical chance of catching Lorenzo, although it was a very slim one bearing in mind Pedrosa is at home in Barcelona recovering from the broken collarbone he sustained last weekend in Japan. With Lorenzo 69 points ahead of Pedrosa before the race, Lorenzo needed only seven points to take his advantage above the maximum 75 points available from the remaining three races of the season. With the title now decided, Pedrosa paid tribute to his fellow Spaniard from his home today. The MotoGP paddock now flies to Melbourne and then travels to Phillip Island for the Australian Grand Prix which takes place at the famous track next Sunday. ANDREA DOVIZIOSO 2nd World Championship position 5th 179 points “I’m very happy with this second place today and it was a great race. We have been fighting for the victory at the last two races at two very different tracks, and also in different conditions, so this is really positive. I tried to stay close to Valentino on the last lap but in the final braking area I wasn’t close enough to take him in the middle of the corner, even though he was too late on the brakes and went wide. Anyway, this result for Honda, Repsol and my team is really important. Last year we were 40 seconds behind the winner in the race here, so to be just 0.2s behind means we’ve moved forward a lot. Also, in the middle of the season, we weren’t on the podium for a long time, so to be back in the top three is very important for us. We have to be happy because this was almost a win, and the riders in front of me are changing at each race, which means we have better consistency. We are happy and I’d like to say thank you to Honda and my crew. From the middle of the season until now we improved a lot because of the hard work of a great team.” DANI PEDROSA DNS World Championship position 2nd 228 points “I think it’s very good for Spain to have another world champion in the top class after Alex Crivillé’s first title back in 1999. That was a long time ago”¦ too long. So I’d like to say congratulations to Lorenzo today. He rode very well this year right from the beginning of the season and made very few mistakes – so he deserves the title. Of course, I would like to have been there today to try and keep the championship alive for a bit longer – even if we only had a very small chance of catching him. But it wasn’t to be. My recovery and physiotherapy after the operation is continuing to go well, and I hope to feel good enough for Australia and to get back to the level we achieved recently for the last races of the season.” TOSHIYUKI YAMAJI – REPSOL HONDA TEAM MANAGER “Again Andrea did a really good job today and he fought until the end and crossed the line less than a quarter of a second from victory. This is the closest he has come to winning in the dry and so we are very pleased with the progress of Andrea and his team. He battled hard and proved he has what it takes to win – he is very close to it now. Congratulations to Jorge Lorenzo for winning the World Championship. He is a strong rival and has earned the title. The Repsol Honda Team will continue to fight for victories until the end of the season.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Fantastic fighting fifth for Bautista in Sepang Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista produced the ride of his season so far to take fifth place during a red-hot race in Malaysia today. Bautista started from eighth on the grid but was forced back to 11th after contact in the second corner, improving to 10th on lap one, a position he held until the middle of the fourth lap when he picked off the next rider as he began his progression through the field. As the race wore on he got involved in a four bike battle with Marco Simoncelli, Hiroshi Aoyama and Nicky Hayden, before Bautista made the move of the day and passed Simoncelli and Aoyama at the same time to move into fifth on the 17th lap. Bautista tried to close the gap on fourth placed Ben Spies, but there were not enough laps left and he brought his Rizla Suzuki home for a season equalling best finish. Loris Capirossi suffered yet more heartbreak as he was forced to retire with an electrical fault. The Italian was in 11th place on lap five, when his bike slowed dramatically before stopping, leaving Capirossi with little else to do except park his bike beside the track and make his way disconsolately back to the pits. Today’s race marked the 20th running of the Malaysian Grand Prix and the a crowd of over 62,000 fans the biggest ever race-day attendance at Sepang were treated to a fantastic spectacle as riders throughout the field traded places in their own separate battles. Valentino Rossi eventually ran out the winner with Jorge Lorenzo coming home in third position to give him enough points to be crowned the 2010 MotoGP World Champion. Rizla Suzuki and the rest of the MotoGP paddock now head over the equator to the only Grand Prix held in the southern hemisphere, as they all prepare to do battle again next weekend, this time at Phillip Island in Australia. Álvaro Bautista: “I am very happy with today’s result because I battled hard with other riders and made the result for myself. The start was not too bad, but on the second corner I had to pick up the bike because some other riders went inside me and I lost some positions. Lap-by-lap I started to overtake other riders and at half distance we caught up to Simoncelli and when I saw that Spies went past him and went away I knew I had to get past Marco and stay with him. I got in a great battle with Simoncelli and I lost some time, and a position, but I had to recover and get past him and Aoyama. When I got into fifth, Spies was quite a way in front and it was difficult to catch him, but I did try and he could have made a mistake at any time that would have helped me get closer. We finished only 15 seconds behind first place and this shows we are improving, so this is very good. I want to say thank-you to all my team, Suzuki, Rizla and all the sponsors, because we are putting in a big effort and going forward together. The bike is now better than at the beginning of the year and I have improved so we are looking forward to the last races.” Loris Capirossi: “I really don’t know what to say today, I am just so disappointed. We don’t deserve the things that keep happening, but we’ll keep going and hope that our luck improves very soon.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “It was a fantastic ride by Álvaro today. The race had everything in it and could have been even better for him but for a bit of bumping in turn two and the fact that he lost a number of places after making a good start. We haven’t seen many better passes than his move on Simoncelli and Aoyama in turn nine that gave him fifth place! After that he put his head down and tried to catch Ben for fourth which without question he had the pace to achieve but there just weren’t enough laps left. Huge congratulations to him and his crew for an excellent performance over the whole weekend. “As for Loris’s weekend it’s difficult to say anything that could compensate for how he must be feeling. He was a hero to qualify the bike yesterday afternoon after such a huge crash in the morning and deserved a whole lot better out of the Grand Prix. I don’t know if someone has a Loris voodoo doll somewhere that is causing us this incredible run of bad luck, but if so please put it away! He always gives 100% and deserves a good result within the final three Grands Prix to put a silver lining on what has been a very difficult season.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Rossi reigns in sweltering Sepang as Lorenzo lifts the title Round 15: Malaysian Grand Prix Race Sepang International Circuit, Sunday 10 October 2010 Bridgestone slick tyre compounds available: Front: Hard, Extra Hard. Rear: Medium, Hard Valentino Rossi triumphed in incredibly demanding conditions at Sepang today, proving too strong for his rivals as he recovered from 11th position during the opening lap to take his second win of the season. The rain stayed away and the temperature and humidity posed a physical and mental challenge for the riders and a stern test for tyres over 20 laps. Andrea Dovizioso was always applying pressure for the lead, passing Rossi on a number of occasions, but ultimately the Italian had to settle for a well-deserved second place and his second successive podium. Taking the third step of the podium and being crowned the 2010 World Champion was Jorge Lorenzo, who led the early stages of the race before being passed by Rossi and Dovizioso. Tyre choices were the most mixed of the season with riders using every available combination of fronts and rears. Rossi and Lorenzo used the softer front and the harder rear slicks and Dovizioso favoured the harder option both front and rear Hiroshi Yamada Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “What a fantastic race in what were incredibly tough conditions for the riders and for our tyres. Valentino rode extremely well to take the victory, as did Andrea to push him throughout, but of course I must congratulate Jorge for winning his first MotoGP premier class crown, and the Fiat Yamaha Team for again lifting the title. It is a special day because Jorge sealed this title at our 150th race. With seven wins and 13 podiums Jorge has been very strong and consistent all year and so is very deserving of this.” Masao Azuma Chief Field Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department “Race conditions today were tough as the temperature was high, but we can see from the riders’ race tyre choice that all our slick tyre specs performed well here. We saw that Valentino and Jorge could make the softer front tyre work well over race distance, whilst the performance of the harder choice that Andrea used was very similar. Álvaro was the highest placed rider to use the softer rear, finishing fifth overall with reasonable consistency until the end so I am happy with all our specs.” Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team Race Winner “To get back to win and at this circuit is very important and it makes me so so happy. It is special for different reasons because it comes after a difficult period and is the 46th victory with Yamaha, so a way to say thank you to Yamaha for this season. I knew from warm-up that I could do it but I started in the worst way as I missed the start and everybody overtake me, but I understood from the first two laps we had the pace to try and win. I’m very fast at Sepang so I just tried to ride like I know and stay in front. Like in Motegi Dovi never gave up, but this win makes me very happy and is very important.” Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 2010 World Champion “This is the maximum I can get and is a dream come true. It’s difficult to have words at this moment but today is the happiest day of my life! I started very well today but it was difficult to be very concentrated and when Dovi and Vale passed me and when the tyres started sliding more I thought today we have to finish and just get the best we could, but I am so happy and want to thank many many people. I have had a good bike, a good team and people who wanted the best for me.” Top ten classification (Sunday 16:00 GMT+8) Pos. Rider Team Race time Gap Front spec Rear spec Tyres 1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 41m 03.448s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 2 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 41m 03.672s +0.224s Ex. Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 3 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 41m 09.483s +6.035s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 4 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech3 41m 17.124s +13.676s Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 5 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 41m 18.850s +15.402s Hard Medium Bridgestone slick 6 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 41m 22.274s +18.826s Ex. Hard Medium Bridgestone slick 7 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 41m 23.666s +20.218s Ex. Hard Medium Bridgestone slick 8 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 41m 27.022s +23.574s Ex. Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 9 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 41m 27.412s +23.964s Ex. Hard Hard Bridgestone slick 10 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 41m 35.298s +31.850s Ex. Hard Hard Bridgestone slick Weather: Dry. Ambient 33°C; Track 43-40°C ( Bridgestone measurement) More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: TOUGH DAY FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM IN MALAYSIA A promising weekend for the Ducati Marlboro Team failed to materialise in top results today as Nicky Hayden finished sixth in a race that saw Casey Stoner crash out in the early stages. The pair made a strong start, Stoner launching from the second row to edge ahead of Hayden for third place into turn one as they looked to mount a twin assault on the podium positions. However, Hayden lost touch with the lead group when Stoner slid out in front of him in the final corner at the end of the first lap. From there the American became embroiled in a battle with a group of hard charging riders, who he was forced to concede positions to due to unexpected difficulties under braking. NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 6th “After qualifying and even warm-up this morning we were confident we could have a good race and put up a better fight than that. I got a decent start but I was struggling for feel under braking, I don’t know why. It has been a strong point for us all weekend but in the race I had no feeling from the front tyre from the first corner and couldn’t brake how I wanted. It made life difficult, especially when it came to battling with other riders. Sixth isn’t a terrible result but we thought we could put up a stronger fight here. Now we have a couple of days to regroup and hopefully come back stronger at Phillip Island.” CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) DNF “I’m bitterly disappointed with this weekend. Going into that race we were confident of a good result. We knew we would be at the front challenging for the win and watching the race confirmed that. I know I had the pace to be up there. On the first lap I was calm, I made up some positions in the first two corners and when I got behind Dovizioso and Lorenzo I was happy to stay there and let the tyres get up to temperature. Unfortunately I crashed because they weren’t warm enough but I don’t think I could have been more careful over those opening laps. I’m so disappointed that such a small thing can ruin an entire weekend.” VITTORIANO GUARESCHI Ducati Marlboro Team Manager “Casey’s crash was a real shame because today he had the pace to be fighting for the podium. He crashed on the first lap, probably because the tyre wasn’t up to temperature, and that was that. It never happened all weekend but today just when we were in with the chance of a good result, which is why Casey is so disappointed. In any case we leave here in the knowledge that our bike ran well at a circuit with very different characteristics to the last two. I’m also disappointed for Nicky, who had his best grid position since joining us but in the end did not finish with the result he was hoping for because of some unexpected problems. Anyway, he finished sixth and was consistent again following a difficult weekend at Motegi.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: TOP TEN FINISH FOR DE PUNIET AT HOT AND CROWDED SEPANG GP Sepang, 10 October: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet crossed the line in tenth place in today’s 20-lap Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang race track reinforcing his place as the best of the championship’s top privateers with 94 points. The hottest round of the championship got underway at 16:00 local time and was held in typical tropical conditions with Jorge Lorenzo winning the premier class crown ahead 62.000 fans. De Puniet has been making steady progress in both free sessions but struggled to get maximum performance out of his front tyre which put him in 13th. Following useful overnight suspension tweaks, the Frenchman aimed to stay up in the pack but the front-end feel made it hard for him to attack at 100 per cent. LCR Team will now move to Phillip Island (Australia) for the last over sea round of the calendar. De Puniet 10th De Puniet: “I am a bit disappointed because I thought I was capable of much more on this track but after 7 laps I had front-end issue again. Following our problems in yesterday qualifying we decided to race with the harder compound which affected the grip in the maximum angle and during the race I could not entry the corners as I like. Honestly I could get a better result but did not want to take any risk and preferred to end 10th scoring some important points for the standing. I feel confident that the guys will find a solution to give me a better bike in Phillip Island”. More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Team: UNLUCKY RACE FOR THE PRAMAC RACING TEAM IN MALAYSIA. TWELFTH KALLIO, WITHDRAWN FOR ESPARGARO’. Difficult race today for the Pramac Racing Team riders on Sepang’s track for the twentieth Malaysian Grand Prix. Mika Kallio finished the race in twelfth position, while Aleix Espargar had a withdrawn on the seventh lap after a fall. Both riders had made a good start, especially Mika had won three positions after the first curve, unfortunately the shoulder pain that has worsened in recent days, has not allowed the Finn to fight all the way to maintain his position. Aleix failed to get a good rhythm since the first lap because his tyres where still too cold. After three laps, however, the grip was greatly improved allowing the rider to reduce his lap time by almost a second. After passing Barber and Kallio in the seventh round, while facing a curve, Aleix’s bike has lost its grip on the front tyre slipping away. The broken handle after Aleix’s fall didn’t allowed him to take part again to the race. Pity, because the Catalan rider had a better lap pace then the riders ahead o f him. Now is time to immediately return to work hard for the next race which will be held next Sunday in Australia on the Phillip Island circuit. Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director “The physical conditions and the hot weather have certainly not helped Mika’s race. This morning during the warm up, we had further reduced the gap we had accused yesterday by the best riders, but this was not enough for our riders to fight for better positions. Too bad for Aleix’s race. He was considerably reducing his lap pace when he lost the front of his bike. From the television we have seen that he should not have had problems, we will investigate to understand what happened. From Tuesday we’ll return to work hard for the next Australian Grand Prix.” Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – 15th in the race – 17th in the World Championship “What a difficult race. I won three positions thanks to a good start, but I still finished the first round in the last position. On the third lap I was struggling with my teammate, who did have a better lap pace than mine. Together we repaired the gap from Barber. On the fifteenth lap I passed Hector, but the shoulder pain and excessive heat did not allow me to maintain my position unchanged. With three laps to go I was overtaken by Barber. I finished the race in twelfth place that is not a good position, but with my physical condition I could not hope to a better position. ” Aleix Espargar – Pramac Racing Team – DFN – 14th in the World Championship “I’m very disappointed and sad about how things went, despite a quite good start, I managed not to lose positions. But in the early rounds my tires were not in temperature and I could not get a good lap pace. From the third round I have seen that the grip was still significantly increased. My pace was good enough to try to overtake some positions, during the sixth lap, I first overtake Barber and then my team-mate Mika Kallio. Just after passing him, in a corner change of direction, the bike slipped away. Fortunately, it didn’t turn off, but unfortunately the handlebar was broken. Too bad because with so many drops and withdrawals in the today’s race, I could gain a position among the top ten. The important thing is now to return to work in the best way to be ready for the next Australian Grand Prix that will take place next Sunday. ” More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: JORGE LORENZO CROWNED 2010 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION AS VALENTINO ROSSI WINS RACE Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo clinched the 2010 MotoGP World Championship on a day that saw Valentino Rossi return to winning ways in Malaysia. Third place for Lorenzo – his thirteenth podium from fifteen races so far this year – was enough to make him only the second Spanish rider ever to win the premier-class crown. Rossi meanwhile put on one of the displays of his career after dropping to 11th at the start, taking his 46th win for Yamaha on the number 46 M1. Lorenzo got a brilliant start from pole and set off in front with Andrea Dovizioso in tow, whilst Rossi, starting sixth, slipped right back through the field in the charge to turn one. A few corners were enough to let the Italian know that all was not lost today however and he quickly began to pick off his competitors, scything through the field to make it up to third by j ust the fourth lap. By now Dovizioso was putting pressure on Lorenzo and on lap nine the Spaniard gave way to the Italian, knowing that finishing safely was more important than the winner’s laurels today. Next time around Rossi passed his team-mate and set off after his compatriot, despatching Dovizioso in turn at exactly the same point on the next lap. Dovizioso mounted one more challenge four laps from the end but Rossi, still the reigning World Champion for a few more minutes, was determined to stand on top of the podium and eventually crossed the line 0.244 seconds ahead. The win moves Rossi up to third in the championship, one point ahead of Casey Stoner. It was Lorenzo’s day however and third place for the 23-year-old was enough to seal him an emotional first premier-class title to add to his two 250cc crowns. It was a special moment for the Mallorcan, who has won seven races this year and finished off the podium only twice in a remarkable display of consistency that shows him to be a deserving champion. Valentino Rossi Position: 1st Time: 41’03.448 “This is a wonderful moment for me, I am so happy to win like this and take my 46th win with Yamaha on ‘my’ M1. It was one of my worst starts and for a moment I was really worried, but within a few corners I understood that I could go for it, because my bike felt great today thanks to a small change we made in warm-up, Jeremy’s idea really worked! I rode so well and it was a fantastic race, one of the best of my career I think. I wanted this 46th win so much because as everyone knows it’s a special number for me! Thanks to my team because everyone worked so hard this weekend and I think this is a great repayment for everyone. To win like this, from 11th at the first corner, is a great feeling. Finally 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.” Jorge Lorenzo Position: 3rd Time: +6.035 “This is a dream come true for me today, I can’t really believe it yet; I need five minutes on my own just to relax, enjoy the quiet and take in what I have done! This is something I have always wanted and something I’ve dreamed of my whole life, so it is the most incredible moment for me. It is difficult to find the words to thank everyone, I am just so happy, but I have to say thank you to Yamaha, my team and everyone who has made this happen. I started very well today, I didn’t lose any positions but then Andrea and Valentino came past me and I wasn’t riding as well as I could have, so I didn’t want to push too much. Anyway I knew that winning the race wasn’t the most important thing this time. I had to just put myself on autopilot and get the points I needed. Now we can relax and enjoy the last three races of the championship, but first of all we are looking forward to celebrating tonight!” Davide Brivio Team Manager “What a race! It was a fantastic race and great weekend because we had a difficult day yesterday and could only qualify sixth, but the team did a great job to change the bike and Valentino felt very comfortable in the race. He rode very well, making the fastest lap in the race and coming from 11th position and 2.5 seconds down on the leaders on the first lap. This milestone 46th win was a great way to celebrate Valentino’s amazing time with Yamaha. It’s a wonderful day for Yamaha all round because Jorge is the World Champion so we say congratulations to him, he’s been very strong this year. All of our team are very happy today! Now we’re looking forward to Australia, another great track for Valentino, and we hope his victories are not over with yet with Yamaha.” Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “This is a wonderful day for our team and I can’t believe what an amazing first year I have had with Jorge in MotoGP! Jorge has proven over and over that he is a winner and our tactics this season – to always go for the podium – have paid off and here we are, World Champions! As usual Jorge was clever today and he knew that he had to be careful, as he has been many times this season, and it was the right move. He has won seven races and been on the podium many more so it really has been a wonderful season. Thank you to everyone for working so hard and well done to Jorge.” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Fantastic fourth for Spies in sweltering Sepang Ben Spies strengthened his bid for a top six MotoGP world championship finish today, the Texan riding to a fantastic fourth place in scorching hot conditions at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Spies rode a tentative first four laps while he gained confidence in the left-side of his hard compound Bridgestone rear tyre, the 26-year-old’s pace still quick enough to keep him fighting in the top six. Once confident he could push to his true potential, Spies was able to reel off a series of fast laps to hunt down and pass fellow American Nicky Hayden on lap eight. Spies continued to increase his pace and his times were only bettere d by Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso at the front of the field. Having quickly left Hayden trailing behind him, Spies then produced a stunning series of laps to close down a two-second deficit on Marco Simoncelli. He caught and passed the Italian on lap 14 and was again able to quickly establish a gap that Simoncelli had no chance of closing as he streaked away to finish top non-factory rider. His tenth top six finish of an outstanding rookie season puts Spies 13-points clear of Hayden in the race for sixth overall in the 2010 rankings with three races remaining. It was an eventful 20-lap race for Colin Edwards, the 36-year-old looking to carry on the momentum gained from his season best fifth place in Japan a week ago. A minor braking issue hampered Edwards in the early laps and once he’d adapted his riding style to compensate, he then battl ed a front-end grip issue. He was embroiled in an exciting four-rider tussle when he crashed at turn four on lap ten. His Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team worked frantically to repair his YZR-M1 machine, Edwards returning to the track to try and score 13th place. Unfortunately his efforts were unrewarded as he missed the cut-off for scoring points by just one lap. Ben Spies 4th 152 points “I got a reasonable start but I suffered with the left side of the rear tyre not coming up to temperature as quick as I’d hoped. But once it did it worked great and I was able to fight my way through to another really strong result. I was behind Nicky for a while and got stuck there but once I got by him I was reeling off 2.02s to get into fourth and I was happy with my race pace. I knew I couldn’t get third and that was a little frustrating because looking at the times of the top three, if I could have got away with them I really feel I could have been there. I know Lorenzo wasn’t pushing like his life depended on it with what he had at stake but I could have been closer to the front. It was still a good race for me and I made some good passes and I’m looking forward to Phillip Island now. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. Jorge has been fantastic all season and he definitely deserved to win the title. He hasn’t made a mistake and I’m really looking forward to working with him in 2011.” Colin Edwards DNF 81 points “That wasn’t an easy race at all. Right off the line I felt good and made a couple of passes but I understood from the start that I had small problem with the front brake. At one point I nearly ran into the back of Ben and that made it really difficult in all the hard braking points and there are plenty of those at this track. On ce I adapted to that I was having some issues with the front tyre. I’d had a couple of moments over the weekend but after about four laps I was struggling to hold a line. I was still pushing hard because I was in a good fight when I crashed at turn four. I don’t know whether it was the brake or the tyre or a combination of both that put me down but it was one of those where I was waiting for it go. I wasn’t going to give up, run wide and let a load of people fly by but just lost the front. I went back out to try and score some points but unfortunately I was one lap short of being classified. I wasn’t going to get in the way of Valentino, Andrea and Jorge, so I got out of the way and that lap cost me a finish. Finally I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha. They’ve been an awesome combination. He’s been the fastest rider all year and he’ll be the man to beat next season that’s for sure.” Herve Poncharal – Team Manager “On behalf of everyone in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team, I’d like to congratulate Jorge and Yamaha for their fantastic achievement this season. Jorge has demonstrated all year that he has been the fastest rider and his consistency has been very impressive. It was also a good day for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and once again Ben was outstanding. He wasn’t as fast as he would have liked to be in the early laps but once he found his rhythm he was easily the fastest rider behind the top three. Once again he made some really exciting overtakes and I think a big crowd here today enjoyed watching Ben. It is a big shame for Colin because he deserved more for all his efforts this weekend. Unfortunately he crashed while pushing hard to improve his position. We fixed his bike so he could try and get some points and I want to thank Colin for going back out and trying his best for the team. It was unfortunate that he just failed to co mplete the required number of laps but we can look forward to both Ben and Colin having a successful race in Australia next weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Jorge Lorenzo – 2010 MotoGP World Champion Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix – Sunday 10 October Jorge Lorenzo’s route to MotoGP glory has been paved with record-breaking achievements, and first began with an encounter with minicross competitions aged just three. Lorenzo competed in this format in addition to trial, minimoto and junior motocross in his native Mallorca over the next few years, then followed up a 50cc Copa Aprilia title by entering the Spanish Championship with special permission, aged just thirteen. Setting a record unlikely to ever be broken, Lorenzo subsequently became the youngest ever rider to enter a World Championship race. Turning fifteen the minimum age for Grand Prix participation back then – on the second day of practice for the 2002 Spanish race at Jerez, he made his debut onboard a Derbi 125cc at a track where he would enjoy much success over the next few years. In just his second season he took his first Grand Prix victory at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where his impressive “round the outside” overtaking manoeuvre on Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa won him the nickname “Por Fuera”. In 2004 he sealed a further three triumphs, before making the move up to the 250cc category a year later and taking four poles and six podiums in his maiden season. 2006 was to be the coming-of-age year for the Mallorcan, who switched to Aprilia machinery and immediately became the favourite for the World Championship. He justified the hype with an impressive eight victories, equalling the pole position record in the process with ten, and lifting the title in an emotional final race of the year at Valencia. Another dominant year in 2007 saw Lorenzo retaining the quarter-litre title, with all nine of his victories coming from pole. At just twenty years old, he was a two-time 250cc World Champion and took on his biggest challenge to date by signing for the Yamaha factory team in MotoGP alongside Valentino Rossi. Lorenzo made an immediate impact in the premier class with a stunning first five races. He took pole on his debut – becoming the first man to do so since Max Biaggi ten years previously – and finished second in an astounding performance in Qatar. He followed up the feat with pole at the next two races, becoming the first rider to go ‘three from three’ in his rookie season and turning both top spots into podium finishes. Unfortunately his debut MotoGP season in 2008 was also marred by a few big crashes and injuries, including two broken ankles in China that eventually forced the debutant out of action for his home race in Catalunya. However he regained his fitness and confidence in the latter part of the season, and picked up the pace to finish fourth overall and become Rookie of the Year. Lorenzo went from strength to strength last year, pushing his colleague and fierce rival Rossi all the way for the title. Their battle at Catalunya was a season highlight, and Lorenzo picked up four wins as part of a 12-podium haul for the year, with five pole positions as well. Ultimately he was unable to wrest the title from Rossi’s grip, but his challenge was becoming ever stronger. 2010 has seen Lorenzo’s star rise even further, and he was finally able to shake off the ‘inconsistent’ tag by scoring podium finishes in the first twelve races of the season, winning seven of them in the process. He has taken pole on five occasions, and qualified on the front row of the grid for every race except one. Still aged just 23, he becomes only the second World Champion from Spain in the premier class after Alex Crivillé, and having signed with the factory Yamaha team for two more seasons is a guarantee to be challenging for more honours in the years to come. More, from a press release issued by Honda: Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang MotoGP and Moto2 races October 10 2010 Weather: hot and humid Track temperature: 43 degrees Ambient Temperature: 33 degrees Crowd: 62,141 DOVIZIOSO A CLOSE SECOND AGAIN, ELIAS IS MOTO2 WORLD CHAMPION Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V) scored a hard-fought second-place result in today’s Malaysian Grand Prix, crossing the finish line just two tenths of a second behind winner Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). It was the 24-year-old Italian’s second consecutive runner-up result, following his identical finish in last Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. Third place went to Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), who claimed the MotoGP World Championship for the first time. Today was a great day for Spain, with fellow Spaniard Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) securing the first Moto2 World Championship. Back home in Barcelona, where he is recuperating from the broken left collarbone sustained during Japanese GP practice, Lorenzo’s MotoGP rival Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) was one of the first to offer his congratulations to Spain’s second premier-class World Champion. In typically tropical heat, Dovizioso was in the hunt for today’s win from the beginning, leading through turn one after starting from the front row of the grid. As the lone Repsol Honda rider, Dovizioso put on a great show. After Lorenzo went past on lap one, the Honda man stayed right with the Spaniard, finally taking the lead at the halfway mark of the 20 laps. But by then Rossi had caught the leading duo and snatched first place from Dovizioso the following lap. Once again, Dovi didn’t give up. He repassed his compatriot at turn one on lap 16, only for Rossi to come by once more. Starting the final lap Dovizioso had closed the gap to just three tenths but he couldn’t quite get close enough to mount a final attack. The result his sixth podium of the year puts him within two points off third place in the World Championship with three rounds remaining. Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V) has a great race, coming home in seventh place after working his way through the pack from 14th position on lap one. It rookie Aoyama’s best premier-class result and by far his best race since he returned from a broken vertebra suffered during June’s British GP. The result didn’t come easily either at one stage of the race the Japanese ace was in the group going for fourth place and in the closing stages he fought a breathtakingly close-quarters battle for sixth place with Nicky Hayden (Ducati) and fellow MotoGP rookie Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V). The action was intense, with Aoyama and Simoncelli touching at turn two on lap 17, an incident that allowed Hayden to pass both of them and secure sixth. Simoncelli rode a strong race after qualifying down in 11th, but the heat got to him and he was struggling with physical and vision problems in the late stages. At the finish Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V) was just four tenths of a second behind his team-mate. Melandri had looked capable of a good result here but once again he ran into front issues, which caused him to run wide and drop several places at one-third distance. After that he recovered well, revelling in the heat while Simoncelli suffered. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V) completed the top ten. The Frenchman had been hoping for something better after overnight suspension tweaks, but during the race he struggled from a lack of front-end feel, preventing him from attacking in his usual style. Elias secured the inaugural Moto2 World Championship with a dogged ride to fourth in yet another thrilling Moto2 race. The 14th round of the new Honda-powered series was won by Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans S.T.R, Suter), who beat Alex De Angelis (JIR Moto2, Motobi) by just four hundredths of a second. Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up) just edged out Elias for the last place on the podium. Elias went into the race with a good chance of putting the crown out of the reach of sole title rival Julian Simon (Mapfre Aspar Team, Suter) with three races still to go. He effectively became champion when Simon slid off on lap eight. It was Elias’ first world title in his 12th Grand Prix season. His slim title chances over, compatriot Simon remounted to finish the race a plucky 21st. Celebrations for Elias and his fans started immediately, the Spaniard stopping on the slowdown lap to change into a special set of championship leathers. Back in the pits, Elias was greeted by his delighted father, mother and sister. There was also much celebrating in the Moriwaki camp, with constructor Mamoru Moriwaki here to mark his company’s first world title in 40 years of competition. By mid-distance there were four riders in with a chance of the race win: leader Iannone, Elias, De Angelis and Rolfo who really came on strong in the second half of the 19 lap outing. The 30-year-old Italian who last won a GP in 2004 revelled in the debilitating 33-degree heat, backing up his first Moto2 podium in Germany with his first win in the class. He quickly worked his way past the three men in front of him to take the lead on lap 12. From there Rolfo tried to make the break, but De Angelis hung on, making several passes, only for Rolfo to immediately make a successful counter attack. De Angelis was nonetheless happy this was his first podium in Moto2 in what has been a complicated season for the San Marino rider. De Angelis started the year with another Moto2 which had to withdraw from the series due to lack of funding; then he substituted for the injured Aoyama in MotoGP, before joining the JIR squad at last month’s San Marino GP Today’s duel for third place was as entertaining as the contest for the victory, with Elias dearly wanting to celebrate his title on the podium. He too made several successful passes in the final few laps, but Iannone always came right back at him. Alex Debon (Aeroport de Castello-Ajo, FTR) won a four-way contest for fifth, crossing the line just ahead of Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing, Suter), Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing, Suter) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP, Suter). Marcel Schrötter (Interwetten Honda 125 Team) scored one point for 15th place in today’s 125 race, after a photo finish for 14th place with Jakub Kornfeil (Aprilia). Despite being declared 15th after race direction had examined the photo finish, Schrötter still believed he had just beaten Kornfeil to the finish line. The race was won by championship leader Marc Marquez (Derbi). Following today’s racing, the MotoGP paddock dashes south east for next Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, the last of three flyaway races on consecutive weekends. After Australia the action returns to Europe for the Portuguese and Valencia GPs. HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda RC212V): 2nd “I’m very happy with this second place today and it was a great race. We have been fighting for the victory at the last two races at two very different tracks, and also in different conditions, so this is really positive. I tried to stay close to Valentino on the last lap but in the final braking area I wasn’t close enough to take him in the middle of the corner, even though he was too late on the brakes and went wide. Anyway, this result for Honda, Repsol and my team is really important. Last year we were 40 seconds behind the winner in the race here, so to be just 0.2s behind means we’ve moved forward a lot. Also, in the middle of the season, we weren’t on the podium for a long time, so to be back in the top three is very important for us. We have to be happy because this was almost a win, and the riders in front of me are changing at each race, which means we have better consistency. We are happy and I’d like to say thank you to Honda and my crew. From the middle of the season until now we improved a lot because of the hard work of a great team.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP RC212V): 7th “The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit and also technically, not much more was possible in these conditions. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider. Then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have led this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs. But Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and touched me a couple of times. This seventh place is the best result so far in this season and my team worked very hard to achieve this. I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.” Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): 8th “Obviously the result is a bit of a shame but I am happy because I came through from the back to have a really good first two thirds of the race. Unfortunately after that I physically couldn’t do any more. I was struggling to breathe, my vision was blurred and I really found it hard to make it to the end. If we could have kept our pace to the end we could have finished fourth or fifth so like I said it is a shame but I am happy because this is a track I don’t particularly love. Winter testing here was a disaster, yet here we were today putting in a good performance, even chasing Dovizioso and Lorenzo over the first few laps. Now I’m looking forward to the next race because this was a positive weekend for us.” Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini RC212V): 9th “What can I say? The result was a shame because compared to other races I got a good start here and my pace was decent. Unfortunately after just two laps I lost feeling for the front and every time I let go of the brakes I felt there was a risk I was going to crash. I went wide at a couple of places because I couldn’t match the pace of the guys in front of me. I got back on track and caught de Puniet but it was tough to pass him. Once I managed it I kept my pace up whilst a few guys in front of me got tired. Physically I felt good, so it was a shame because this could have been a good race for us.” Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda RC212V): 10th “I am a bit disappointed because I thought I was capable of much more on this track but after seven laps I had front-end issue again. Following our problems in qualifying yesterday we decided to race with the harder compound front which affected the grip at maximum lean angle, so during the race I could not entry the corners as I like. Honestly I could have got a better result but I did not want to take any risks and preferred to finish tenth, scoring some important points for the standings. I feel confident that the guys will find a solution to give me a better bike at Phillip Island.” Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V): DNS “I think it’s very good for Spain to have another world champion in the top class after Alex Crivillé’s first title back in 1999. That was a long time ago”¦ too long. So I’d like to say congratulations to Lorenzo today. He rode very well this year right from the beginning of the season and made very few mistakes so he deserves the title. Of course, I would like to have been there today to try and keep the championship alive for a bit longer even if we only had a very small chance of catching him. But it wasn’t to be. My recovery and physiotherapy after the operation is continuing to go well, and I hope to feel good enough for Australia and to get back to the level we achieved recently for the last races of the season.” MOTO2 RIDER QUOTES Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans S.T.R, Suter), race winner “The last time I won a GP was at Jerez in 2004, so it has been a while! I’ve felt very good here all weekend. We’ve tried to keep the bike the same because it worked so well at Motegi. We have found a good feeling from the front, which makes the difference. This category is quite complicated, because if everything isn’t 100 per cent it’s easy to be a long way back. I pushed hard from the beginning of the race and my rhythm got better and better. My tyres were working really well so I began to believe I could win. I concentrated, rode my line and I was very fast in the faster corners. This season hasn’t always been easy, so this win has come at a good moment for me and my team; it’s like a big thank you for all their work.” Alex De Angelis (JIR Moto2, Motobi), 2nd “I’m very happy with my first podium in Moto2. This year hasn’t been easy with three different teams in two different categories, so all the time it’s been new teams and new bikes. It’s not easy to understand new bikes, new tyres and so on. Now we are doing a good job with this team the bike works very well, so I’ve been fast since I first got on it at Misano. I tried to pass Roby many times but he was very fast and didn’t make mistakes. For me, this is the start and now we come to my favourite tracks.” Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up, Speed Up), 3rd “I had a great battle with Toni it was tough and I enjoyed it. But we suffered the same traction problem we had suffered at the last few races. During practice we were one second off the pace, but we changed some things this morning and after the start I soon realised that the front guys weren’t running such a fast pace. I pushed hard and attacked. I’m very happy for my team this proves once again that we are working well.” Toni Elias (Gresini Racing Moto2, Moriwaki) Please refer to separate Honda Racing Information Moto2 World Champion media release HONDA 125 RIDER QUOTE Marcel Schrötter (Interwetten Honda 125 Team), 15th “This was a very difficult race for me, after a good start. After the start I was in the middle of a group and this was holding me back. Then I was able to fight my way through and I tried to catch up as many places as possible. On the main straight I didn’t have a chance anymore and the other riders opened a gap. I couldn’t see anything as I was sweating. I definitely think that I finished in 14th position.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: QUOTES FROM MASAO FURUSAWA & LIN JARVIS ON LORENZO’S CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY Masao Furusawa Executive Officer, Engineering Operations “First of all, I want to congratulate Jorge Lorenzo for clinching the 2010 MotoGP World Championship title here at Sepang, with three rounds still remaining in the season. As a member of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, I am very proud to have had the pleasure of watching Jorge progress from Rookie of the Year in 2008, when he first moved up to MotoGP, to finishing second in the 2009 series to now becoming the 2010 MotoGP World Champion. “In Japan last week Jorge signed a new two-year contract that will see him continue to ride for Yamaha in 2011 and 2012, and we hope to see him win the championship again in the two years to come.” Lin Jarvis Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing “Firstly let me say it gave me great satisfaction today to see a young athlete achieve his dream! I would like to congratulate Jorge on his excellent season, resulting in him winning his first MotoGP World Champion title. Today was a super result for the Fiat Yamaha Team, with Valentino winning the race and Jorge coming home safely in third spot, giving us two important victories at the same moment. The points haul today is also very important for the Team and Manufacturer Championships. “I would also like to take this opportunity to say congratulations and a big thank you to all of our corporate and team staff who have worked so hard and to all of our sponsors, partners and the Yamaha fans around the world that have supported us on and off the track to bring us victory again this yea r; this is our 3rd MotoGP rider’s title in a row. “Now that the first, and most important, title is ours we will try our best to win the next three races and hopefully in the process the Manufacturer and Team titles to complete another ‘triple crown’ year.” More, from another press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: ADDITIONAL QUOTES FROM JORGE LORENZO FOLLOWING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY “This is my first title in the premier category and my dream has come true! 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. 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! 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. Motorcycling is my passion and my job but it’s also a game, and this is what I was saying when I held up the sign saying ‘game over.’ Today it’s over for this season because I am the World Champion! I don’t think about the future now, I just want to celebrate my first MotoGP title and I can’t think beyond this night. The future will be tough and exciting, with giants for my rivals, but we don’t need to think about that now, we can just enjoy the moment. Phillip Island isn’t my best track for MotoGP but I want to try to win because I haven’t won there. I want to win some more races this season and I will try my hardest to do so. We have come such a long way; some things happen very slowly in your career and some very fast. When I started in the World Championship I was almost last in the 125 class but in only eight years I have become MotoGP World Champion. It’s incredible how life can change. We have fought so hard and for this. I’ve been fortunate because I’ve had good luck, good bikes and good teams. I’ve always been surrounded by people who want to best for me and I am very grateful for this. The pre-season didn’t start so well with my broken finger but in the end it’s been a fantastic year. If I had to pick the three best races I would say the number one was Jerez, because it was the first time I won there in MotoGP and it’s maybe the best place to win a race. Plus I enjoyed my jump in the lake! Silverstone was maybe the best race I made, b ecause I was aggressive and fast. Then finally here, not for the riding but for the importance and the World Championship. I don’t know yet if I will use the number one next season. If I can think of a good design then yes, if not I stick with 99! World Champion – it sounds unbelievable to hear these words, it is such a pleasure, you feel like you’re king of the world. We will enjoy this night to the maximum.” JORGE LORENZO STATISTICS “¢ Jorge Lorenzo becomes only the second Spanish rider to win the MotoGP world title – the other was Alex Criville in 1999. “¢ He is the first Spanish rider to win world titles in both the 250cc class and premier-class. “¢ Lorenzo has finished in the top four at the first fifteen races of the year on his way to taking the world title. “¢ At the age of 23 years 159 days he is the sixth youngest rider of all-time to win the premier-class title after: Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees and Valentino Rossi. “¢ He is the third youngest rider to have won world titles in both the 250cc and premier-class, after: Mike Hailwood and Valentino Rossi. “¢ During 2010, Jorge Lorenzo became only the fourth rider in the 62-year history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing to finish on the podium in the premier-class at the opening twelve GP races of the year. More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Lorenzo secures championship as Rossi wins in Malaysia Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix – Sunday 10 October Report Day 3 Jorge Lorenzo was confirmed as the 2010 FIM MotoGP World Champion on Sunday at Sepang, as the 23 year-old Fiat Yamaha rider rode to a third place finish in the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. It was a thrilling race that was won by Valentino Rossi, as the Italian took his first victory since the season opener in Qatar, on a day on which his great rival and current teammate celebrated his first premier class title. 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. Casey Stoner (Ducati Team) suffered a huge disappointment when he crashed out of the race on the opening lap. Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) 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 quickly on Dovizioso. Rossi was repeatedly laying down fast laps as he homed in on the leading duo 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 0.224s ahead of Dovizioso, with Lorenzo in third and cementing the 2010 title with his 13th podium of the season as the celebrations started. Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took fourth position with rookie Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) equalling his season’s best result in fifth. Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP) followed, with Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) eighth having battled closely with former 250cc rival Aoyama. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) completed the top ten. Moto2 Toni Elías was crowned the first-ever Moto2 World Champion at Sepang on Sunday after the Spaniard took fourth place in the 14th round of the 2010 campaign. Roberto Rolfo was also celebrating as he took his first World Championship victory since triumphing in the 250cc class at Jerez in 2004, after a fantastic race that saw both Rolfo and Elías involved in separate battles. Stepping onto the podium for the first time this season was Alex de Angelis (JiR Moto2) who challenged Rolfo for the win late on, with Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) completing the rostrum after a marvellous duel with Gresini Racing’s Elías. Completing the top five was Alex Debón (Aeroport de Castelló-Ajo), with top-ten results for Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing), Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing), Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP), Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing) and Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2). Pole sitter, Julián Simón, who was the only man who could prevent Elías from confirming the title, finished a distant 21st, after crashing while battling at the front of the race. 125cc Marc Márquez won from pole position at Sepang on Sunday to take over the leadership of the 125cc Championship by three points. The Red Bull Ajo Motorsport rider led home a podium that was completed by Pol Espargaró (Tuenti Racing) and Nico Terol (Bancaja Aspar), who Márquez now replaces at the top of the championship standings. Today’s battle for the race win was fought out exclusively by the three riders at the top of the championship standings, despite a hard charge at midrace distance by their three teammates, Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar), Efrén Vázquez (Tuenti Racing) and Sandro Cortese (Avant Mitsubishi Ajo), that briefly saw six riders clear at the front of the race. Terol, Márquez and Espargaró all led at one point as first position continued to swap hands. With six laps to go Márquez began to turn the screw and opened up a gap of almost a full second over Espargaró, setting a fastest lap of the race in the process. From there the 17 year-old remained calm and controlled, eventually crossing the finish line 2.341s clear of Espargaró, with Terol just over a second further back. Vázquez won the battle of the chasing pack for fourth position, with Smith and Cortese within half a second of him. The top ten was completed by Esteve Rabat (Blusens-STX), Luis Salom (Stipa-Molenaar Racing), Tomoyoshi Koyama (Racing Team Germany) and Randy Krummenacher (Stipa-Molenaar Racing). Márquez now tops the standings on 247 points, with Terol second on 244 and Espargaró third on 235 with three rounds remaining.