2008 World Champion Valentino Rossi rode an inch-perfect race in energy-sapping conditions at Sepang today to take his ninth win of the season and his 150th career podium. He is only the second rider in the history of the sport to pass this milestone, the other being Giacomo Agostini, whose all-time win record Rossi has already broken this season. Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo meanwhile had a disappointing day, with his challenge ending in the gravel trap on lap 12.
With temperatures in excess of 40 degrees as the riders lined up on the grid, today’s race was clearly going to be a test of endurance, both for riders and tyres. Rossi, starting from second, crossed the line for the first time in third but was able to pass Andrea Dovizioso on the next lap, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process, and set off on the heels of Dan i Pedrosa. The pair gradually began to open out clear air from the chasing pack but the gap between them remained at just a few tenths of a second for next eight laps. Rossi eventually made his move at mid-race distance, was able to pass Pedrosa on the brakes into the hairpin at turn nine and was then unchallenged to the chequered flag, crossing the line 4.008 seconds ahead of the Spaniard with Dovizioso in third.
The paddock now heads straight to Valencia in Spain for the 18th and final round of the season, with Rossi looking to avenge two bad years at the track and Lorenzo determined to secure the title of Leading Rookie with a positive performance to make up for today’s disappointment.
Valentino Rossi Position: 1st
Time: 43'06.007
“I am so happy with this win today because all of the toughest championship of my career, including with Yamaha in 2004, have been won with nine victories. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win again next week, but for now I like this number! Today was incredibly hard because it was so hot. Once I got behind Dani I tried to pass many times but he was very fast and very consistent and I had a good battle to get by him. Lap-by-lap I understood better where it was possible and eventually I could make my move and go away from him. Everything worked very well today in such conditions, my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres and I want to thank everyone for making me so fast all weekend. I love winning here because it’s such a great track but today was really a test, especially the last five laps when I really had to make an effort to keep my concentration in such incredible heat. Anyway, it was important to win here because when we came here in the winter I did a very fast race simulation and I promised my new Bridgestone tyre technician, Peter, that we would win the race! I took a gamble in February so I had to win today! Finally I want to congratulate my friend Marco Simoncelli for winning the 250cc World Championship today. I know how hard he has worked to get here and he really deserves it – I am very happy for him.”
Davide Brivio - Team manager “Nine wins sounds good! Now that we’ve won the world championship it’s great to race for fun and to think only of winning and today was just like that. Valentino rode a perfect race; he started well, followed Dani for some time then passed him and escaped and he did a good job to keep his concentration and rhythm in such hot conditions. This has been another great day in a fantastic season for us and now we’re looking forward to one more in Valencia.”
Ambient temperature: 40 degrees
Track temperature: 42 degrees
Humidity: 25%
Results 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 43'6.0072. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda + 4.008
3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 8.536
4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda + 8.858
5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 10.583
6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro + 13.640
7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 15.936
8. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha + 18.802
9. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki + 23.174
10. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP + 25.516
11. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing + 27.609
12. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing + 41.399
13. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team + 45.617
14. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini + 49.003
15. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team + 59.139
16. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro + 1'03.328
17. Nobuatsu Aoki (JPN) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 1'48.363
NOT CLASSIFIED Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 9 Lap
James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 19 Lap
Championship Standings 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 3572. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 255
3. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 229
4. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 182
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 161
6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 144
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha 134
8. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 125
9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 117
10. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 111
11. James Toseland (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 100
12. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 92
13. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 63
14. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 60
15. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 57
16. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 55
17. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 51
18. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 50
19. Ben Spies (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 20
20. Jamie Hacking (USA) Kawasaki Racing Team 5
21. Tadyuki Okada (JPN) Repsol Honda Team 2
Sepang: Record Lap: Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2007, 2'02.108
Best Lap: V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2'00.605
