Lorenzo triumphs in Valencia to clinch MotoGP crown

Despite starting 18th, Kent fought his way up to ninth, which was more than enough to secure the crown.

“But unfortunately in the last three races something changed, something happened that nobody expected”. The quest for that tenth championship title is going to be as tough as it can possibly get. With 28 laps remaining in the race, Rossi broke into the top 10 position and it was game on at Valencia.

“On Thursday I had the opportunity to meet with the bosses of the championship, and I had already said what would happen three days in advance”, he said. Instead, a heartstopping clash against exuberant Honda Rider Marc Marquez ended when the Spaniard crashed out. While Marquez and Lorenzo hovered in the low 1’32 range during the latter stages, Pedrosa was still in the upper 1’31s.

“Marquez is the future of MotoGP”, Rossi continued.

Lorenzo also argued that Rossi’s final deficit to the front at Valencia showed his grid penalty made no difference to the title outcome.

Valentino Rossi lost out on a 10th MotoGP world title to fierce rival Jorge Lorenzo after fighting his way back up to fourth across the finish line.

But he was fourth as Lorenzo led from pole to win his seventh race of 2015. The last lap was, I think, quite bad for all the sport. “So it is anyway very, very hard”.

Rossi led Lorenzo by seven points in the championship standings ahead of the race and would have claimed his eighth world title and the first since 2009 if he had finished second. The Malaga born rider had taken a typically formidable pole position, and quickly settled into the pacey, efficient style that has seen him win so many victories throughout his career.

That said, Lorenzo has done all he could in preparation for Valencia come Sunday morning. “I think the best and fastest rider in 2015 was the guy who won the championship”.

Although Lorenzo then suffered with rear tyre wear in the closing laps, Marquez argued his passing attempts were stymied first by a yellow flag at the area where he was quickest and then by Pedrosa battling with him for second.

With Lorenzo’s confidence at maximum, it will only be Lorenzo’s race to lose.

“Without doubt the best lap of my life”, he said. “Then the race is 30 laps so we have to see what happens and especially how my pace will be”.

“In practice I gave 100 per cent. In the race I gave 100 per cent”. We have a few hours to plan the strategy for tomorrow, maybe even tomorrow after the warm-up.

Fifth place is occupied by LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow, while sixth place on the grid goes to British rider Bradley Smith astride the Monster Yamaha Tech3. Which was the good news for Rossi fans, the bad news was that Lorenzo was leading the pair of Hondas.