MotoGP news

Capirossi wins, Stoner takes title

Loris Capirossi has won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. The Italian rider changed his tyres at the right moment as the weather changed above the Motegi track and was able to win the race with a huge advantage over Randy de Puniet and Toni Elias. Casey Stoner finished 6th and claimed the 2007 MotoGP World Championship as Rossi finished 13th.

After two days of racing in sunny conditions the rain came down on Sunday at Motegi. It didn't rain hard though at the start of the race so it was a hectic starting grid where even mechanics fell over each other in a bit of panic what to do with the set-up of the bike. The organisers called the race a 'rain race' and thus the entire MotoGP field began the race on rain tyres.

At the start Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen stalled his machine and thus he saw the rest of the field disappear in front of him. Kawasaki rider Anthony West also didn't have a great start. He jumped the start and got a drive-through penalty.

Dani Pedrosa didn't have any problems and was leading the race having started from pole poisition. Behind him there was a group of riders fighting for positions. Valentino Rossi had a terrible first lap. He fell back from P2 to P8.

At a drying track the riders had to decided when to come in and get their dry-weather tyres fitted on their bikes. The first riders to come in and change bikes were Nicky Hayden, Sylvain Guintoli and Loris Capirossi. They were immediately five seconds per lap faster than the others.

The leading riders decided to stay out though and lost a lot of time. Loris Capirossi took over the lead from the riders that went in late for a tyre change and cruised to victory. It was his ninth victory in MotoGP.

And since Casey Stoner finished ahead of Valentino Rossi the Ducati rider clinched his very first MotoGP championship at the age of just 21. He is the second youngest rider ever to win the MotoGP championship.

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