Casey Stoner has taken one step closer to a second MotoGP title, as Jorge Lorenzo will be absent from Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix; both he and Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies will miss the race as a result of separate incidents at Phillip Island.
In the case of reigning title holder Lorenzo, the Spaniard injured the fourth finger of his left hand after high-siding in this morning’s warm-up session – he had been due to start the race from second place.
Lorenzo now travels to Melbourne in order to undergo plastic surgery to repair the damage to his finger.
Spies attempted to take part in the warm-up but elected not to do so on safety grounds, having sustained a hit to the head in a high-speed crash yesterday.
The non-attendance for Lorenzo ensures that Honda’s Stoner is now in need of only sixth place or higher in order to seal the 2011 World Championship at his home track.
The 2011 Australian MotoGP begins at 3pm local time (BST +10)
Series
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Ben Spies
Jorge Lorenzo
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  C. Stoner | Repsol Honda | 01:31.261 | 12 |
| 2. | J. Lorenzo | Fiat Yamaha | 01:31.311 | 8 |
| 3. | D. Pedrosa | Repsol Honda | 01:31.779 | 12 |
| 4. | V. Rossi | Ducati | 01:32.220 | 12 |
| 5. | M. Simoncelli | Gresini | 01:32.282 | 12 |
| 6. | N. Hayden | Ducati | 01:32.390 | 12 |
| 7. | R. de Puniet | Pramac | 01:32.403 | 12 |
| 8. | A. Bautista | Rizla Suzuki | 01:32.414 | 13 |
| 9. | A. Dovizioso | Repsol Honda | 01:32.569 | 11 |
| 10. | H. Aoyama | Gresini | 01:32.727 | 12 |
| Full results | ||||
| Jorge Lorenzo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Jorge Lorenzo photos | |||
| Ben Spies | |||
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| More Ben Spies photos | |||
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