Story highlights
Casey Stoner clinches second MotoGP world title
Stoner wins Australian round as main rival Jorge Lorenzo sidelined
Defending champion Lorenzo picked up an injury in Sunday's warmup
Stoner was claiming his fifth straight win at Phillip Island
Casey Stoner wrapped up his second world MotoGp title before his home fans at Phillip Island Sunday as he claimed the Australian Grand Prix.
With defending champion Jorge Lorenzo sidelined by an injury sustained in the morning warmup, Stoner needed only 10 points to seal the title, but he turned on the style for his ninth win of the season.
Starting from pole, the Repsol Honda star had built up a seven-second lead after seven laps and he was able to complete an easy victory, his fifth straight at the track.
Marco Simoncelli finished second after a close battle with fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Spain’s Dani Pedrosa. Honda thus occupied the first four places to wrap up a 60th constructors world title, but their first in the 800cc era.
Yamaha’s Lorenzo came to grief in changeable morning practice conditions and he will require surgery on his hand, losing a chunk of his ring finger after a nasty fall.
It left the way clear for Stoner to add to his previous title back in 2007 with Ducati.
“I don’t think anyone could plan things to happen better than they have today,” he told the official MotoGP website.
“But the race was incredibly difficult, the conditions were very tough. I built up an early lead as I saw the rain coming in, but I wasn’t sure if it would hit us.
“I basically ran into a wall of rain, there wasn’t any warning at the back part of the circuit and I came into the last turn and the rain started hard. I nearly lost control but I managed to control it and maintain the gap to everyone and thankfully bring it home for the win.”
It proved the perfect way for Stoner to celebrate his 27th birthday and he will look to underline his dominance in the two remaining rounds in Malaysia and Spain.
