Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi followed Ducati’s Loris Capirossi across the line in the Malaysian Grand Prix to finish second and clinch his fifth successive MotoGP title.
Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi followed Ducati’s Loris Capirossi across the line in the Malaysian Grand Prix to finish second and clinch his fifth successive MotoGP title.
Rossi became the third rider in history (with Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini) to win the premier-class title on five occasions. Including his 125 cc and 250 cc titles, Rossi is now a seven-times world champion. He marked his achievement by donning a t-shirt with the number seven before launching into celebration with his fan club dressed as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
When the red lights went out at the start of the 21-lap race, Capirossi converted his pole into a lead, while behind him Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden banged bars and were forced wide, allowing Marco Melandri into second ahead of Shinya Nakano, Hayden, Kenny Roberts, Gibernau and Rossi. Nakano proved very forceful at the front of the pack, clawing his way into second position before a clumsy move by Gibernau took both riders out the of the race.
But Rossi soon found himself in third and then second place behind Capirossi, who led for most of the race while beating off the advances of the Yamaha rider. Capirossi started pulling away as the race progressed and, with four laps to go, had opened up a vital 0,8 second gap which gradually grew as the finish drew near.
Capirossi’s second successive win was overshadowed by Rossi’s rapturous celebrations, as the only person who could have prevented him from taking the title, Max Biaggi, crossed the line in sixth position.
Rossi wrapped up the championship with four races to spare, despite a series of tyre and set-up problems ahead of Sunday’s race.
“I am very happy because I gave more than 100 per cent in the race today,” the new MotoGP champion gushed. “We have been in trouble all weekend and this morning I wasn’t sure if I would finish on the podium, but I got a good start and rode a clever race.
“Little by little I moved to the front and I passed Hayden and then swapped positions with Capirossi a couple of times. In the last seven laps he changed gear and I couldn’t go with him.
“Anyway, I am World Champion for the seventh time, which is incredible! Last year was a bit of a surprise but this time everybody was out to beat me,” Rossi said.
Carlos Checa finished third, ahead of Hayden, Melandri and Biaggi, while Rossi’s Yamaha team-mate, Colin Edwards came home in tenth position. Shane Byrne finished his maiden MotoGP race in fourteenth on a Camel Honda.
