Showdown in Australia for the world title: Lorenzo-Pedrosa

This early morning, starting at 6 a.m., we will witness another showdown in the fight for the MotoGP world championship. Two riders can still win it. The two Spaniards, and they will have a referee who won’t hesitate to put some distance between them and run their own race.

The Australian circuit of Phillip Island will witness this event, and although we would have liked the titles to be decided in the final race (which is also in Valencia), everyone, and especially the protagonists, knows that the sooner the better, to avoid unnecessary risks and scares.

Jorge Lorenzo has managed his advantage very well over the last races we have contested. Undoubtedly benefiting from the injury to Casey Stoner, who has spent 3 races in the pits, he has only had to worry about Dani Pedrosa, the only one who could overshadow him in a championship in which these three riders have shown they are above the rest.

Lorenzo has achieved 6 victories, and with the exception of Holland, where he was involved in the crash that Álvaro Bautista suffered, he has finished 2nd in the remaining 9. This gives him a 23-point advantage over Dani, since despite also winning 6 races, Pedrosa has only stood on the podium 13 times, with 4 second places and 4 thirds. Dani also suffered a crash, at Misano, caused by Héctor Barberá.

What has undoubtedly made the difference between the two riders has been the results Stoner has achieved, beating both of them in 4 races, but only costing Dani points. Furthermore, in France Dani did not reach the podium, thus losing 3 important points in the rain at Le Mans.

If Jorge scores 3 points more than Dani today, he will be champion this early morning. We will see how the race evolves, but without a doubt the Stoner effect seems likely to be more damaging for his teammate than for Jorge. Casey wants to bid farewell in style at home, at his circuit, in front of his people. Jorge only has to control what Dani does, and if he finishes ahead of him, he will win his second MotoGP title.

Statements from Jorge Lorenzo after qualifying (2nd 1:30.140):

Casey seems to be from another planet. You see him sliding while giving it full throttle and you see how difficult it is to keep up with his pace. I put in a good lap in qualifying on the soft tyres and I was able to get close to him. I’m happy with second place. It will be important to follow Stoner’s wheel for as long as we can. I want to thank the team for the hard work they have done to improve the bike.

Statements from Dani Pedrosa after qualifying (3rd 1:30.575):

For half of the practice I have been trying different things on the bike, to feel more comfortable, but they haven’t really worked. With my first soft tyre I couldn’t improve, but then, towards the end of the session, I was able to lower my times a little and on the last lap the rain arrived. Either way, being back on the front row is very good and I think we have achieved a good setup for the race. Casey is unreachable, on another level, and he is doing a fantastic job this weekend, but my pace is quite similar to Jorge’s and I hope at least to maintain consistency tomorrow to fight with him.

Photos | motogp.com