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Valentino Rossi
and Jorge Lorenzo congratulate each other at
the Sepang circuit last Sunday after the
former rider got back to winning ways in the
MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix while the latter
wrapped up the world championship title. |
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The newly crowned 2010
MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo leads his victorious
team down under to Phillip Island this weekend, for the
sixteenth round of the season. His team-mate Valentino
Rossi, returned to winning ways after Sunday's epic win,
is in equally high spirits and it is a happy Fiat Yamaha
Team that lands on Australian shores today.
Third place for Lorenzo on Sunday was enough to secure
the 23-year-old his first premier-class crown and the
Spaniard celebrated his championship in style alongside
his ecstatic crew in Kuala Lumpur. With his lifelong
goal achieved Lorenzo can now relax and concentrate on
racing for the final three rounds of the season and he
is determined to start this weekend with a strong result
at the Island. He won there in both his 250cc
championship-winning years but has never had a MotoGP
podium, crashing out at turn one last year in a race he
will be keen to forget this weekend.
Sunday may only have been Rossi's second win of the
season but the emphatic victory had all the hallmarks of
a classic, as the nine-time champion charged through the
field after dropping to eleventh at the start. It was
his 46th victory for Yamaha but the Italian has no plans
to stop there and would like to add to the number in the
last three races of the season. He is something of a
Phillip Island specialist, having ruled supreme for five
unbeaten years, and he has eleven podiums in all
classes, including a second place last year.
Perched on the cliffs above the Bass Strait, Phillip
Island is one of the most dramatic racetracks in the
world and its precarious position always makes for
changeable and often chilly weather. The circuit is also
one of the sternest tests of rider and bike, with its
sweeping and flowing nature making for the ultimate
challenge of machine control and throttle accuracy, not
to mention the sheer bravery required from the rider.
Jorge Lorenzo - "One of the happiest people in the
world!"
"I am one of the happiest people in the world! We got
it! I am very proud of my team, partners and sponsors,
but it is not really 'game over' because we have to
continue, we still have three more races. We have to
focus in the same way as we have until now, fighting for
the podium and without the pressure of the championship
we hope to get some good results. I like Philip Island,
it's one of my favourite tracks and maybe the fastest on
the calendar. It's always amazing to ride there, so
close to the sea, but the weather is very different to
Malaysia, always very cold."
Valentino Rossi - "A fantastic place to ride"
"Sunday was a truly fantastic day; to win again was
wonderful, my 46th for Yamaha and I think one of the
best victories of my career, I am so happy. Now I really
want to try to finish the season strongly and I'm
excited about getting to Phillip Island, which is one of
the most fantastic places in the world to ride a
motorcycle. I haven't won there for a few years and I
would really like to change that. It's always special to
go there because many of my team are Australian and the
fans are great. I can't wait!"
Wilco Zeelenberg - "Still on a high"
"We're still on a high from the championship, what a
great day it was for us! Now that's done however we can
go racing, and we're excited. Jorge has achieved his
goal and now he can just relax and enjoy riding the bike
and pushing hard with nothing to lose, we really want to
try to win some more races this season. Phillip Island
hasn't been the best track for him even though he likes
it - he's never had a MotoGP podium there - but we're
aiming to change that this weekend."
Davide Brivio - "Looking forward to more of the same"
"We are coming to Australia very happy after the
fantastic result of Sunday. It was great to see
Valentino back riding at his best and we are looking
forward to more of the same this weekend. Phillip Island
is one of his best tracks and we always enjoy racing
there, it's a spectacular track. We haven't won there
for a few years and it would be great to get another
good result this weekend so we will see what we can do."
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