Lorenzo poised to clinch title

From motogp.com

The 2010 MotoGP title could be decided this weekend with Jorge Lorenzo primed to take his third World Championship crown – his first in the premier class.

The Fiat Yamaha rider goes into round 15 at Sepang with a 69-point advantage over Dani Pedrosa - the only man who can stop him from being proclaimed Champion - but the Repsol Honda rider has been ruled out of action after he fractured a collarbone in a crash in Japan.

This will be the 20th GP event to be held in Malaysia with Sepang the venue since 1999. It was there that Lorenzo sealed his 2007 250cc title, and a fantastic display in last year’s race saw him rocket up the order to finish fourth having started from the back of the grid due to technical problems.

Having taken 12 podiums from the 14 rounds so far (including seven victories) Lorenzo’s form this season has taken him to the brink of accomplishing a lifelong ambition, and a range of results this weekend would proclaim him 2010 MotoGP World Champion with three rounds to spare.

Pedrosa was only released from hospital in Barcelona on Monday following a successful operation to insert a titanium plate into his left collarbone, and his Repsol Honda team confirmed on Thursday that the 24-year-old will not compete this weekend.

For Casey Stoner the season has taken a massive step forward in the last two rounds with the Australian taking his first two victories of the campaign at Aragón and Motegi. The Ducati rider has a solid record at Sepang too having won last year and in his title-winning season of 2007, and he still has a chance of finishing the season in second position overall.

Andrea Dovizioso made a return to the podium in Japan and the Repsol Honda rider, who started from pole at Motegi for the first time in MotoGP, took his first premier-class podium at Sepang in 2008.

Just three points behind him in the Championship is the most successful rider at the Sepang circuit – Valentino Rossi. The reigning World Champion secured last year’s title there with a podium finish and has won five times at Sepang.

Lying in sixth position is Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) whose only previous experience of the track is the pre-season tests, but the rookie’s ability to learn new venues well over a weekend has been repeatedly proven this season.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) has finished fourth at Sepang on five occasions and is looking for a second podium finish of the campaign.

Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) are separated by just nine points from eighth to 10th positions in the Championship as they all prepare to mount strong finishes to their respective campaigns.

The first-ever Moto2 World Championship crown could be claimed by Toni Elías in Sepang this weekend as the Gresini Racing rider sets his sights on what would be his first title.

Elías arrives with an 81-point advantage over Julián Simón in the standings, and his fellow Spaniard is now the only rider who can prevent him from taking the title. A top-two result in Malaysia for Elías would see him as Champion with three rounds to spare.

Few would bet against Elías sealing the title this weekend and he has a good record at the track, having taken three podiums there in the former 250cc class including a victory. Simón has winning form there as well however, and the Mapfre Aspar rider’s is more recent with him taking victory in the 125cc category last season in his title-winning campaign.

In third position in the standings Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) has his sights on Simón and Thomas Lüthi (Interwetten Moriwaki) is nine points behind in fourth.

The pace refuses to ease off in the 125cc category as the 2010 season nears its climax and Malaysia provides the next step in what has been a close chase for the title throughout the campaign. With just 13 points currently separating Championship leader Nico Terol, Marc Márquez and Pol Espargaró the margin for error is practically non-existent in the final four rounds.

With victory last time out in Japan – his seventh of the season – Márquez (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) closed the gap on Terol to six points, but the Bancaja Aspar rider’s consistency this year has seen him only finish off the podium once in the races he has started. Second at Motegi maintained his position at the head of the standings.

Espargaró (Tuenti Racing), who was fourth in Japan will be looking to close up the gap to Terol in what is a tense Championship.