Rossi vs Lorenzo - Who came out on top?

At the end of the day Valentino Rossi was standing upon the podium showering the adoring masses in champagne, but the battle for third was more important than 16 points. The man sitting in his garage practicing his acceptance speech and planting the name ‘Jorge Lorenzo’ to the list of MotoGP Champions; took a personal win on Sunday.

The duel between the giant egos of Rossi versus Lorenzo shadowed the battle of Catalunya from last season, which included the pass of the century. But one major difference was the performances of the two MotoGP stars. At Catalunya both riders had the appearance of utmost control of their M1 Yamahas but at yesterdays race, the more experienced Rossi was flustered and erratic.

The pass that Lorenzo made on the outgoing champion was an aggressive move but the series of passes that Rossi, which I'm happy to admit were exciting, piled on the Spaniard were out-of-control, borderline uneccessary and a jeopardy to the team and manufacturer championships up for grabs - but ultimately left the outgoing champion appear desperate.

Ultimately the reason for Lorenzo’s private win on Sunday was that he forced Rossi to ride out of his comfort zone and all the while remained unflappable. Across the line Lorenzo pulled a giant wheelie, accepting his victory over the mind of Rossi.

The final four races have the making for an epic close to the season that I can hear the film trailer voice over in my head. Rossi has shown his hand, but can Lorenzo rise to further challenges for mental supremacy. The gloves will surely be off for Sepang, Philip Island, Estoril and Valencia.

What are your thoughts on the battle? Discuss below...

By Robin Goodwin