Home » Sports » Motorcycling
Lorenzo claims maiden world MotoGP title
Source: Agencies |
October 11, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SPAIN'S Jorge Lorenzo clinched his maiden MotoGP world title with a third-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday.
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 at Sepang.
Yamaha teammate and outgoing world champion Valentino Rossi took the race ahead of Italian compatriot Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda, but the day belonged to Lorenzo, who never looked in any danger.
Lorenzo's triumph was assisted by injuries to his main rivals, Rossi and the absent Dani Pedrosa. "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 said.
Lorenzo has 313 points to Pedrosa's 228, Rossi is third on 181, a point ahead of Ducati's Casey Stoner.
The race was watched by more than 62,000 mostly Rossi fans and the 31-year-old, who rides with the No. 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 46th 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.
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.
The 27-year-old Moriwaki rider began the race with an 81-point lead over his only rival for the title, Julian Simon, and once his Spanish compatriot slipped to 30th place following a crash on the 8th lap Elias cruised home.
In the 125cc race, Derbi's Marc Marquez won to move into the overall lead with 247 points, three ahead of Spanish compatriot Nicolas Terol.
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 at Sepang.
Yamaha teammate and outgoing world champion Valentino Rossi took the race ahead of Italian compatriot Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda, but the day belonged to Lorenzo, who never looked in any danger.
Lorenzo's triumph was assisted by injuries to his main rivals, Rossi and the absent Dani Pedrosa. "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 said.
Lorenzo has 313 points to Pedrosa's 228, Rossi is third on 181, a point ahead of Ducati's Casey Stoner.
The race was watched by more than 62,000 mostly Rossi fans and the 31-year-old, who rides with the No. 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 46th 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.
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.
The 27-year-old Moriwaki rider began the race with an 81-point lead over his only rival for the title, Julian Simon, and once his Spanish compatriot slipped to 30th place following a crash on the 8th lap Elias cruised home.
In the 125cc race, Derbi's Marc Marquez won to move into the overall lead with 247 points, three ahead of Spanish compatriot Nicolas Terol.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
