MotoGP: Valentino Rossi angry at Valencia Grand Prix carve-up as Jorge Lorenzo clinches fifth world title

Lorenzo overhauls Rossi after winning the final race of the season

Jorge Lorenzo (GETTY IMAGES)

Jorge Lorenzo, a master of managing pressure, led the final race from the first corner to the chequered flag, taking the maximum 25 points. To concede the title to Valentino Rossi, his team-mate needed to finish right behind him in second place, but he could only finish in fourth. It was the Repsol Honda duo of Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa that chased their compatriot for 30 laps, unable to make a pass on the Yamaha star but making it an all-Spanish podium in front of 110,130 home fans.

All eyes had been unusually on the back on the grid at the start as Valentino Rossi, who had led the championship standings from the first race of the year, started from last place. By the first corner, he had overtaken six riders and by halfway round the first lap he was in 16th place. By the end of the second lap he was in 12th place, ninth by the end of the fourth. As he made his way through the pack, the grandstands roared with each pass.

As the top trio began to pull away on the fourth lap, Andrea Iannone crashed his Ducati GP15 from fourth allowing his team-mate Andrea Dovisiozo and the Espargaro brothers to battle closely just ahead of Rossi who had swiftly made his way into seventh place.

On the 13th lap, less than halfway through the race, Rossi had made it up to fourth. It was just the so-called ‘aliens’ ahead of him but also over 13 seconds ahead of him. The front runners were able to keep high lap times for the duration but in the closing laps the Honda’s drew in closer. Pedrosa made a pass on Marquez only to run wide and lose the position back to his team-mate.

In the end, outgoing champion Marquez and Pedrosa finished second and third and Rossi angrily accused them of helping their compatriot by not trying to win. “I did what I could but it was a strange situation having Marquez as the bodyguard of Lorenzo. It is embarrassing for the sport,” Rossi said. “Hopefully the sport’s authorities will be able to sort it out. It is an ugly end to what has been an attractive championship. It has not been a true championship and this should not happen in sport.”

Rossi said Lorenzo was a deserving champion but he could not understand why Honda would want to see a Yamaha rider win. Marquez said it was ‘a lack of respect’ to suggest he had not tried to win, although he recognised there would be doubters.

Lorenzo, who ended the season five points clear and with seven wins to Rossi’s four, suggested it was to be expected that his compatriots would rather see him win.

“The fact that they knew what I was going for and that they are Spanish has helped me and in another race they may have tried everything to overtake,” said the new champion.

On winning the race, the newly crowned triple world champion Lorenzo said: “It was a tough race because the tension and the pressure was so high. I pushed to the limit like I always do but I felt Marc and Dani come close. I guessed Vale was in fourth place, I didn’t know this for sure but I wanted to focus on winning only. I couldn’t see my pit board so I didn’t know when I was on the last lap. I took a deep breath when I saw the chequered flag. Normally I wouldn’t cry but when I saw the Spanish flag being handed to me, I felt very emotional”

Pedrosa said: “I was uncomfortable for a lot of this weekend and have struggled with the bike setting. I started to feel better towards to the end and tried to pass Marc. I thought there was a chance I could win the race. I went in too hot and had to go wide so Marc came past me again”

On Rossi’s alleged comment that the Honda’s were the fastest bikes this weekend, Pedrosa shrugged: “I don’t think Vale can tell how I feel on the bike. I always try my best and everyone knows how hard it is for me to ride these big bikes. I have won races and feel in super good form now which has been the hardest target this year. Being in the top of MotoGP is super hard and I have overcome my situation this year. I am looking forward to taking this momentum into next year.”

Behind Rossi, were the Tech 3 Yamaha’s of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith who finished fifth and sixth respectively. Smith finishes the season as the top Briton in the Championship in sixth place with 181 points. Coventry-born Cal Crutchlow finishes in eighth place in the overall standings with 125 points.

Additional reporting by Reuters