Rossi equals best, Pedrosa wins title

By Greg Stutchbury

PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia (Reuters) – Valentino Rossi won
his 11th MotoGP of the season and Daniel Pedrosa took his
second successive 250cc world title after his nearest rival
crashed out at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Rossi equalled his personal best for victories in a season,
just one from the record of 12 set by Mick Doohan in 1997. It
was the Italian’s fifth successive win at the Phillip Island
track.

There are two races left in the season, in Turkey and
Valencia, giving Rossi ample opportunity to break Doohan’s
record — something that the Australian, who also won five
successive world titles, predicted before the weekend.

“He’s got 10 years ahead of him — he’ll not only surpass
my achievements but anyone else’s as well,” said Doohan.

“Results-wise he’s already equalled everything I’ve done
and he’ll have surpassed that by the end of the year, and that
just leaves (Giacomo) Agostini.”

Agostini won seven successive titles from 1966-72 and eight
in total.

“It has been an amazing season and today we have won the
constructors’ title for Yamaha…so I am very happy,” the
26-year-old Rossi said after he held off Nicky Hayden and
Carlos Checa to win in 41 minutes 8.542 seconds.

“Eleven wins in the year matches my own record and to do it
at Phillip Island is very special for me.

“I have won a lot of very important races here, especially
the 2001 title and the title last year…so it is a magic track
for me — I love it.”

SECOND TITLE

Pedrosa’s second successive 250cc title was virtually
assured when Australia’s Casey Stoner, who was leading at the
time, fell off his bike early in the race and was forced to
retire.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, however, needed to win the race
to sew up the title, something he accomplished when he nosed
ahead of Argentina’s Sebastien Porto on the line to win the
race by 0.027 seconds, giving him 25 points and an
insurmountable 51-point lead over Stoner.

“I was not thinking today (that) I would be world
champion,” said Pedrosa, who also won his first 250cc world
title at Phillip Island last year. “But I was thinking I could
make a good race.”

Pedrosa said that since falling at Motegi in Japan last
month he had been having trouble racing due to pain in his
shoulder.

“I didn’t say anything to my team that I was injured…and
since Motegi I have nearly crashed two or three times and I did
not know how to do it (put up with the pain).

“This world championship is very special, because it has
been very tough over the last three rounds.”

Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi, who has won all four races this
season when he has started on pole, led from start to finish to
win the 125cc class in 38:0.352 and move into the lead in the
world championship with two races remaining.

“It was important to go very fast on the first lap and make
the break,” said Luthi. “That was the reason for the
victory…but the championship is not finished yet.”