Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo has fully asserted his dominance in the premiere MotoGP class in only his third year with the Fiat Yamaha team. A previous winner of two 250cc titles he can now add the 2010 MotoGP Championship to his collection. At only 23 years old, this could the first of many such celebrations but no matter his future, the first title is always the one to remember for life.
"This is a dream come true for me today," beamed Lorenzo, "I can't really believe it yet; I need five minutes on my own just to relax, enjoy the quiet and take in what I have done! This is something I have always wanted and something I've dreamed of my whole life, so it is the most incredible moment for me. It is difficult to find the words to thank everyone, I am just so happy, but I have to say thank you to Yamaha, my team and everyone who has made this happen."
Today has been three years in the making for Lorenzo. In 2008 he was moved into the Fiat Yamaha team to ride alongside a legend on two wheels, Valentino Rossi. Straight from the 250cc class championship Lorenzo hit the ground running in MotoGP, earning pole in the season opener at Qatar and finishing second to Casey Stoner. The result marked the Spaniard as one to watch for the rest of the season.
In the next race Lorenzo once again took pole and finished on the podium. Already the talk was focused on how soon this rookie will earn his maiden win. The fans didn't have to wait long as Lorenzo dominated Portugal from pole to victory, in only his third race with the big dogs. He looked strong in the championship, but the season was just starting and much can go wrong.
Lorenzo suffered a string of hard crashes starting in China. After earning second in France he would go on to miss the podium for seven races in a row as he suffered from his injuries. He would return to the podium only twice more in the season before finishing fourth in the championship. For most riders that would have been a great result in their rookie year, but the brilliance shown at the start of the season indicated Lorenzo was destined for something greater.
At the start of the 2009 season it was clear both Yamaha riders would be competitive, and as the season progressed it was no surprise the title came down between Lorenzo and teammate Rossi. The teammates quickly became rivals on the track, with victory often coming down to who could hold the advantage in that particular race. At the end of the season Rossi earned 6 wins and 13 podiums over Lorenzo's 4 victories and 12 top three finishes. The title went to Rossi with Lorenzo in second, 45 points behind.
"This is a dream come true for me today," beamed Lorenzo, "I can't really believe it yet; I need five minutes on my own just to relax, enjoy the quiet and take in what I have done! This is something I have always wanted and something I've dreamed of my whole life, so it is the most incredible moment for me. It is difficult to find the words to thank everyone, I am just so happy, but I have to say thank you to Yamaha, my team and everyone who has made this happen."
Today has been three years in the making for Lorenzo. In 2008 he was moved into the Fiat Yamaha team to ride alongside a legend on two wheels, Valentino Rossi. Straight from the 250cc class championship Lorenzo hit the ground running in MotoGP, earning pole in the season opener at Qatar and finishing second to Casey Stoner. The result marked the Spaniard as one to watch for the rest of the season.
In the next race Lorenzo once again took pole and finished on the podium. Already the talk was focused on how soon this rookie will earn his maiden win. The fans didn't have to wait long as Lorenzo dominated Portugal from pole to victory, in only his third race with the big dogs. He looked strong in the championship, but the season was just starting and much can go wrong.
Lorenzo suffered a string of hard crashes starting in China. After earning second in France he would go on to miss the podium for seven races in a row as he suffered from his injuries. He would return to the podium only twice more in the season before finishing fourth in the championship. For most riders that would have been a great result in their rookie year, but the brilliance shown at the start of the season indicated Lorenzo was destined for something greater.
At the start of the 2009 season it was clear both Yamaha riders would be competitive, and as the season progressed it was no surprise the title came down between Lorenzo and teammate Rossi. The teammates quickly became rivals on the track, with victory often coming down to who could hold the advantage in that particular race. At the end of the season Rossi earned 6 wins and 13 podiums over Lorenzo's 4 victories and 12 top three finishes. The title went to Rossi with Lorenzo in second, 45 points behind.