Melbourne: Ducati`s Casey Stoner delighted his home fans by winning a fourth consecutive Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday.
Stoner, who secured pole position on his 25th birthday a day earlier, completed the 27-lap race in 41 minutes 9.128 seconds, more than eight seconds ahead of newly crowned world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain on a gusty day at the 4.45km circuit.
Seven-time premier class champion Valentino Rossi finished third after battling back from eighth on the grid, snatching the podium spot from Ducati rider and future team mate Nicky Hayden of the United States on the final lap.
The 2007 world champion Stoner roared off the grid to open a 1.5 second gap from Lorenzo`s Yamaha after the first lap and was never threatened thereafter as brilliant sunshine dried out the scenic track that had earlier been doused with showers.With Lorenzo also enjoying a luxury of space in second place, the race`s drama was relegated to a battle for third between Italian Rossi and Hayden.
After snapping at Rossi`s heels for most of the race, Hayden nosed in front at the circuit`s Honda hairpin with less than three laps remaining.
Rossi regained track position in an aggressive move at the same turn on the final lap, then held on for the podium spot that left Hayden looking far from happy in the pitlane after the race.
The win was Stoner`s third of the season and continues his late revival after victories at Aragon and Motegi over the past month.The Australian moved to third in the championship standings behind second-placed Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who withdrew from the race after qualifying, due to discomfort with the collarbone he broke during the Japan round.
Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi also withdrew citing a groin injury sustained from a qualifying crash.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.