Although the race got under way in a pretty chaotic way – with the rain delaying the start and teammate Jorge Lorenzo getting his bike settings all wrong prior to the official start – Rossi kept his cool and never challenged the front runners for a race win. Age seems to have made the Yamaha rider more focused on the bigger picture, and that attitude was quite rewarding at the finish line.
While clearly the most constant rider in the field throughout the 2009 season – no injuries, constant podiums and valuable wins just when he needed it – Rossi celebrated his 7th MotoGP title in style.
“It's a great achievement. For me it's the ninth world championship and the seventh in Moto GP, so I have to thank all the guys from Yamaha down to my guys in the garage who have helped me to arrive at this great achievement,” said Rossi after doing a photo shooting with a live chicken following his title-clinching performance at Sepang.
The two Yamaha riders also exchanged positive comments between themselves, as each has complemented the other for the great fight put up throughout the 2009 season.
“I want to congratulate Valentino, because this year he has just beaten me, simple. He is just a winner. Next year, maybe I will beat him,” said Lorenzo, while Rossi admitted the Spaniard was his toughest rival for the title this year.
“All season I have had great rivals, especially Jorge, my team-mate. He stayed very close to me. We had some great fights and he's a great rival, so congratulations to him,” added the Italian rider.
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