16 October 2007, BY
With MotoGP having already crowned Casey Stoner as its new champion and the battle of 125cc riders looking set to go to the wire to the season finale in Valencia, motorsport fans at Sepang Circuit will look to Jorge Lorenzo for a world championship celebrations at the 2007 Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix this Sunday.
With a 45-point advantage over second placed Andrea Dovizioso as the championship enters its penultimate round in Sepang this weekend, the crowning of Lorenzo as the 250cc world champion for a second successive year is almost certain.
The flamboyant Spaniard merely needed to finish among the top 11 riders to secure the required five points to hoist his second world crown and to declare his departure from the 250cc class to compete in the MotoGP next season against the likes of Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Nicky Hayden and his future Fiat Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi.
Dominant in 2007, Lorenzo scored his ninth win of the season at the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island last Sunday, but was quick to declare that the championship title has not been won yet despite his huge advantage over Dovizioso.
“We expected that sort of statement. For them, nothing is won until the world title is officially sealed and no other riders have any mathematical chance of beating them,” says SIC Senior General Manager Datuk Azmi Murad.
“Anyway, I think it’s good for Sepang if he can really win it in Malaysia and celebrate his second world title with the fans here. In any case, I expect a very good and close race in Sepang in all the three classes especially the MotoGP class,” added Azmi, who is the event director for the 2007 Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Azmi reminded fans not to miss the event and that they should take opportunity from Malaysia’s hosting of the event to see the world class riders in action and inspire their children and charges to become professional racers in the future.
“The Malaysian GP has been in Malaysia since 1991 and it is frustrating and sad that we are unable to see Malaysian riders competing at the event. Hopefully, the Malaysian motor racing fraternity can urgently work together and have Malaysians competing here in Sepang in the near future,” he said.
While there would be no Malaysian at the GP starting grid, fans from Thailand can cheer for the local hero Ratthapark Wilairot as the 19-year old rider from Chonburi compete against Lorenzo, Dovizioso and the other 250cc riders in Sepang. Representing Team Thai Honda PTT-SAG, Walairot is currently 16th in the 250cc world championship standing with 29 points.
Indonesian Doni Prata Pradita, who competes in the Asian Grand Prix Series, has earned a wildcard entry from the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) for the Malaysian round and would be competing along with Walairot in the 250cc class.
“Their entries obviously have generated a lot of interest among the fans in Thailand and Indonesia and I expect a large turnout of fans from the two countries at the race in Sepang this weekend,” Azmi said, adding that the circuit is expecting an attendance of 50,000 fans for the event.
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