19/10/08 - Valentino Rossi took victory number nine of his 2008 season in the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, escaping from the clutches of Dani Pedrosa in the final third of an exciting race at the Sepang circuit.

The 2008 MotoGP World Champion had started from second on the grid, but held onto the tail of Pedrosa´s Repsol Honda RC212V as his rival attempted to make an early breakaway. After taking the lead from the Spaniard on lap ten Rossi set about creating an advantage of his own, and as the race entered the final third the biggest problem for the Italian was the threat of rain.

With the option open to come in and change bikes, the Fiat Yamaha man –and all the other riders so used to the changeable nature of the Sepang weather- elected to stick out the light rainfall, a decision vindicated when the rain passed and the high temperatures quickly dried up any residual wetness.

With his latest podium finish Rossi extends his run of rostrum placings to eight consecutive Grands Prix, with a chance of win number ten in Valencia at next weekend´s season finale.

Pedrosa placed inside the top three in Sepang for the third time in as many premier class visits to the Malaysian track, although it was not enough to keep the battle for the runner-up spot in the 2008 World Championship standings alive. Nonetheless, the Spaniard recorded his best race result on Bridgestone tyres, after taking his first pole for the Japanese manufacturer on Saturday afternoon.

With just one race left in his maiden MotoGP season, Andrea Dovizioso finally achieved a first premier class podium after a tooth-and-nail battle with Nicky Hayden. The JiR Team Scot rider also moved further into contention for the Rookie of the Year honour as his result combined with a crash from rival Jorge Lorenzo.

San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano showed that he was also up for a battle, eventually keeping the fifth spot despite the best attempts of 2007 Sepang racewinner Casey Stoner. Sixth place was enough for Stoner to confirm second in the season´s overall classification.

Loris Capirossi, Colin Edwards, Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet rounded off the first ten past the chequered flag in the 21-lap race.


Valentino Rossi - Race Winner

"The conditions were unbelievable because the temperatures were incredible out there. We worked hard to get the M1 strong during the winter here, and we knew that the bike was suitable for the type of corners that we have here. We worked very well with the team this year and started off with a great setting. I had a great battle early in the race with Dani, but I had ten laps alone which, although the track is fun, were hard work. I´m happy because it´s my ninth victory of the year; I like this number and will try for ten in Valencia!"

250cc

Alvaro Bautista won the 250cc battle in Sepang, but third place for Marco Simoncelli meant that it was the latter who was victorious in the season-long war for the quarter-litre title. With just one round to go, Simoncelli now has an insurmountable advantage over the Spaniard in the World Championship standings, taking a first Grand Prix title to complete his breakthrough 2008 season.

Bautista knew upon arrival in Malaysia that simply winning would not be enough, and slowed up the pace when he took the lead in order to put bikes between himself and his Italian rival. With the frontrunners just too hot for the rest of the field to handle, the Mapfre Aspar rider eventually pulled away, taking victory number four of the season and confirming the runner-up spot in this year´s campaign.

Starting from pole position, Hiroshi Aoyama stepped onto the podium for the second time this season with second place, selling himself to interested parties after finding out this weekend that he is now a free agent for 2009. The Red Bull KTM rider was unable to repeat his 2007 Sepang victory as Bautista pulled away with a new circuit record, but came home in second place after a series of stints at the head of the race.

Simoncelli took his third rostrum finish in succession, greeted by his pit board announcing `You have won the World Championship´ The Italian celebrated with a burnout and a lap of the Sepang circuit, and was joined in parc ferme by MotoGP titlist and friend Valentino Rossi.

JiR Team Scot´s Yuki Takahashi came home in fourth, ahead of Lotus Aprilia riders Aleix Espargaro and Alex Debon. Espargaro had taken the holeshot and led the first two laps of the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, his first time at the front of a 250cc race.

Roberto Locatelli, Ratthapark Wilairot, Thomas Luthi and Lukas Pesek completed the top ten in the quarter-litre race.

125cc

2007 125cc World Champion Gabor Talmacsi repeated his Sepang victory from his title-winning year in emphatic fashion, taking the holeshot in the lower cylinder category race and never looking back. The Hungarian had been fast all weekend, starting from second on the grid and having topped the morning warmup timesheet.

The Bancaja Aspar rider took the holeshot from poleman Andrea Iannone, and after riding in tandem with the Italian he broke away on the sixth lap. A series of rivals attempted to chase him down, but Talmacsi was not for breaking in his chase for the runner-up spot in the 2008 standings. He now holds the advantage over Simone Corsi and Stefan Bradl with just 25 points up for grabs.

A rider who will replace Talmacsi in the Jorge Martinez `Aspar´-led squad next year, Bradley Smith proved to be the most durable challenge to Talmacsi´s dominance. Starting from thirteenth on the grid, the Briton fought his way up to the head of the chasing pack, cutting the difference between himself and the race leader before eventually running out of laps. Second place in the Malaysian race marked Smith´s fourth podium of the season.

The fight for third was narrowed down to three by the time the final lap rolled around, with Corsi taking the final podium spot in the draft to the line. Losing out on the rostrum after coming close for the second consecutive year, Sandro Cortese placed his Emmi-Caffe Latte Aprilia in fourth, with newly-crowned 125cc World Champion Mike di Meglio dropping down two places after starting the last lap in third.

Front row starter Pol Espargaro came home sixth, ahead of Belson Derbi teammate Joan Olive, Ajo Motorsport´s Dominque Aegerter, Jack&Jones WRB man Nicolas Terol and Iannone, who dropped down the field at the midway stage of the race.