Australian Grand Prix / Nick Tedeschi / 17 October 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

With three races of the MotoGP season left, the title race is far from over and looks to be building to a fantastic climax, writes Nick Parkhouse.

Every time Valentino Rossi looks to have the title sewn up, rival Jorge Lorenzo has pulled a great performance out of the bag and this was never truer than in Portugal last time out.

The Spaniard rode a great race to win in Estoril and with Rossi having a surprising off day to only finish fourth, the gap between the Yamaha riders is down to just eighteen points. With seventy five points still up for grabs, there is everything to fight for as the riders land in Melbourne for this weekend's Australian GP.

Jorge Lorenzo is under no illusions about the size of the task if he is to overhaul Rossi to win the title. "After my victory at Estoril I have a bit more of a chance to fight for the title as there is a big difference between being 18 points behind and 30 behind. But there are only three races to go and I think to win the title I will need to win these three races."

To win the race he will not only have to beat Rossi but also local hero Casey Stoner who returned from a three race absence through illness with a stunning ride in Portugal. The young Australian finished second and will be looking to go one better at a home race he has won for the last two years. He also has a great chance of overhauling Dani Pedrosa to finish third in the Championship standings.

"Everybody is riding so well this year and we have had some good wins, but not as many as we want. My bike has been working at a really good level and it is nice to know that I can come back and be competitive. I know I have got a chance of winning this race and winning the last three," said the Ducati rider.

Rossi was strangely out of sorts in Estoril and saw his championship lead cut from thirty to eighteen points. The mercurial Italian struggled with traction for most of the race before refusing to speak to the press directly after the race, which is unusual for the five time MotoGP champion.

"In Portugal all three of my main rivals had a great race, with a really high level pace, so it looks like Pedrosa and Stoner are also in a really good shape to try and win this weekend's race," said Rossi. He added, "Especially Casey who has won here for the last two years and is at his home Grand Prix, so he has some extra motivation."

It is vital that Lorenzo finishes ahead of his great rival in this race to keep his hopes of the title alive. With the last race being a 'home' event for Lorenzo he will want to line up on the grid in Valencia with the title very much still a possibility. The problem he will have, however, is the terrific consistency of Rossi over recent years. The Italian has only failed to finish one of the last thirty two Grands Prix and he has finished in the top five in an amazing twenty nine of the last thirty two races.

Whilst the title race may be the main focus in Melbourne this weekend, both Yamaha riders could well be overshadowed by the resurgent Stoner on his home course. I really fancy the Australian to triumph in Phillip Island and further dent Jorge Lorenzo's title ambitions.