Australia MotoGP: Valentino Rossi thrilled with vital second

Valentino Rossi might not have been able to halt Casey Stoner’s home domination in Phillip Island, but the Italian was still in buoyant mood as a crucial second place moved him to the brink of a seventh MotoGP world title.

Rossi shadowed Stoner for the majority of the 27-lap race but could never get close enough to mount an attack on the factory Ducati rider who kept his cool under intense pressure to win for a third straight year on home soil.

Rossi’s 20-point haul was immensely important after Fiat Yamaha team-mate had pressed the self destruct button when he crashed out at the first corner.

Crashing heavily after a tangle with 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden, Lorenzo’s blunder gifted Rossi a 38-point lead in the championship.

And with the Italian a red-hot favourite to clinch a ninth world championship crown in Malaysia next weekend, Rossi was delighted with his second in Australia.

Rossi, who hasn’t won at Phillip Island since 2005, said: “If I make a mistake today after the crash of my team-mate, it is a big problem. I tried anyway to win but it was a great race and without doubt it was one of the funniest and important second places of my career. Behind Casey we go very fast and riding MotoGP at Phillip Island is always a great pleasure and we did some great slides on the left side, so it was fun.  I tried to stay with him and I put a lot of effort in, but I as always trying to not make too many risks and not make any mistakes. With three laps to go I was very close but anyway there was no way I could go for the victory, but these 20 points are like gold for us and now we have an important advantage on the championship.”

Rossi was fully aware of Lorenzo’s demise with his experienced crew immediately informing him via his pitboard that the Spaniard was a spectator in the circuit’s medical centre needing treatment on facial and right hand cuts.

Rossi added: ”Before the race I spoke with Jerry (Burgess) and I said, ‘tell me if Lorenzo makes a mistake’. Jerry said ‘no, we don’t mind.’ But they put Lorenzo Out on the board. So from that moment I have always in my mind two ways. Try to win, but also keep the second place for the championship. It was a high level race and I enjoyed a lot.”

Rossi said his tactics would not change going into this weekend’s Sepang race and that he would be going out to win and not just ride around to claim the point’s he needs to be champion.

He said: “I’m happy about the 38 point lead, but especially I am happy about the work of my team this weekend, because we found a good setting from the beginning and we worked a lot on the bike. I think today we made the maximum that is possible and when we work like this is possible for us to be fast in every track. Sepang is completely different because the temperature will be very hard. But I love Sepang and I will be going there with the mentality to try and win.”