Home coming champion, Jorge Lorenzo made it win number nine today at the final race in Valencia, to cap a record breaking season off in style. Lorenzo had never won a race in any class at the circuit and was clearly determined, surviving a coming together with Marco Simoncelli, which almost saw him have a massive highside.
The young Spaniard held it like he was at a rodeo however and continued on his way. Such was his determination, Lorenzo stormed through the field to finish 4.5s ahead of Ducati’s departing Casey Stoner and FIAT Yamaha‘s departing son, Valentino Rossi, who had a moment with his machine on the cool down lap, and was seen giving the front faring a kiss.
It was Stoner that had led for most of the race from pole, getting away well with Rossi, and Dani Pedrosa who had made a rocket like start, but as the pace became too much for the Repsol Honda rider, who is still recovering from his shoulder, the Austrailian and Italian left the Spaniard behind. With Lorenzo fighting his way through the field to third, the final laps of the race were set to be epic. Rossi didn’t put up much of a fight, maybe wanting to leave on good terms, and with 8 laps left Lorenzo made his way past Stoner to the flag.
The fight for fourth saw Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Ben Spies, in his final race for the team, in a race long scrap with Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso and, after his scrap with Lorenzo, San Carlo Gresini Honda’s Marco Simoncelli.
Dani Pedrosa eventually wrapped up the runner up position in the championship, after finally finishing in 7th. But it is unclear how well the return has helped Pedrosa, after it emerged he may have to have more surgery in the close season. Hector Barbera grabbed another great result for the Páginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati squad with 8th, followed by next years solo Rizla Suzuki rider Ãlvaro Bautista and in his final race for LCR Honda, Randy De Puniet completes the top 10.
Aleix Espargaró scored a finish for Pramac Ducati in 11th, followed by a disappointed Colin Edwards on the second Monster Yamaha Tech3 machine. Marco Melandri grabbed 13 on the San Carlo Honda Gresini Team with Hiroshi Aoyama completing Interwetten Honda MotoGP‘s last MotoGP race and Carlos Checa completed the 15 finishers.
There was more disappointment for Nicky Hayden when, after making a solid start and rocketing to second, crashed out in style, whilst Loris Capirossi retired from his final race for Rizla Suzuki with 17 laps remaining.
