Moto GP world champion Italian Valentino Rossi, seen here walking on the paddock, admitted he was delighted after setting a stunning lap time of 1min 21.900sec during testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Thursday.

Moto GP champion Valentino Rossi admitted he was delighted after setting a stunning lap time of 1min 21.900sec during testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Thursday.

Rossi was taking part in his second day of testing with the Ferrari F2008, the same car with which 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen set the circuit’s lap record in 2008.

That was a time of 1:21.670, just over a couple of tenths faster than Rossi’s penultimate lap.

“We kept the last three quarters of an hour to try a ‘time attack’ with little petrol and fresh tyres,” said 30-year-old Rossi, who added he had enjoyed himself even more than during his last test with Ferrari at Mugello in November 2008.

“It’s more effort in Mugello but this track here is really wonderful, with motorbikes and cars.”

Rossi spun twice at the turn during wet conditions on Wednesday and although the weather was not ideal to begin with on Thursday he still managed to complete 600km over the two days.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) celebrates after winning the Valencia motorcycling GP, the final race of the season in Cheste, near Valencia.

Honda rider Dani Pedrosa won the Valencia motorcycling GP here on Sunday, the final race of the season.

World champion Valentino Rossi of Italy was second and his Spanish Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was third.

In front of 95,000 home fans, Pedrosa achieved his second win of the season and took third place in the standings at the expense of Australian Casey Stoner, who crashed on the warm-up lap.

Ducati rider Stoner, who had been due to start on pole and was bidding for a third straight win, could not start after coming off the bike on the warm-up lap.

Pedrosa set the pace from the front row and held the lead to finish third in the overall standings behind champion Valentino Rossi and compatriot Lorenzo.

Italian Rossi, who clinched his second successive MotoGP title in Malaysia last month, finished second, almost three seconds behind Pedrosa, and Yamaha team mate Lorenzo was third.

The 30-year-old Rossi wasn’t too deflated to have bowed out at the end of the season in second place.

“We were a lot slower this weekend, but it didn’t matter as I was already the world champion,” said Rossi.

“I’m happy. Tomorrow (Monday) we will go out and try the new bike for next season.”

Lorenzo, who doesn’t enjoy the happiest of relations with Rossi, admitted that he could have pressed on the gas once Stoner crashed out.

“The stable called me and said Stoner was out of the race. I should have put my foot down but instead I allowed Dani (Pedrosa) to take a second up on me and that was enough.

“All in all it has been a good season and I will come back stronger next term.”

French driver Sebastien Loeb (right) and his co-driver Daniel Elena during the second stage of the Rally of Great Britain on October 23. The victory meant Loeb — who was driving a Citroen C4 — clinched his sixth consecutive World Rally title.

French rally driver Sebastien Loeb in a Citroen C4 won the Rally of Great Britain here on Sunday to clinch the World Rally championship for the sixth straight year.

In the 12th and last leg of the season, Loeb’s sole remaining rival for the title, Mikko Hirvonen of Finland, driving a Ford Focus clawed his way back to within 18 seconds of the overnight leader by winning the first two special stages on Sunday. consecutive

But his chances soon vanished as the hood of his car burst open on the next special forcing him to stop in order to close it.

That allowed Loeb to stretch his lead to 1 minute 25 seconds after the 15th special stage at Port Talbot with just 22 kilometres to cover in the final special to retain his world title.

It was Loeb’s seventh win of the season and the 54th of his career.

Defending champion Valentino Rossi celebrates after winning his seventh Moto GP title at the Malaysian MotoGP.

Defending world champion Valentino Rossi claimed his seventh MotoGP title in a thrilling race in wet conditions on Sunday at the Malaysian Moto GP.

Australian Casey Stoner won the race but the 30-year-old Italian secured the title by coming in third on his Yamaha. Spain’s Dani Pedrosa was second.

Rossi said he was delighted to seal the championship title with one race to go, in Valencia on November 8.

“With one round to go, I have clinched the world title. I thank all the people who helped me achieve this achievement. We did some great fight,” he said.

Heavy rain delayed the start of the race by 35 minutes and played a major part when the action finally got under way.

Rossi started on pole but failed to hold his lead and went wide into the first corner with a pack of riders, led by Pedrosa and Stoner, who had overtaken him with ease. Factfile: Valentino Rossi

Stoner, fresh from victory at Phillip Island, passed Pedrosa and never looked back, romping home with something to spare.

The 2007 champion here in Sepang, Stoner came home in 47min 24.834sec, while Pedrosa was adrift at 14.666sec and Rossi narrowly behind him. Rossi’s Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was fourth.

“I got a good start,” said Stoner, who began in the second row on the grid.

“I did not expect to pull such a gap. I am happy with the pace. I am looking forward to the race in Valencia.”

Pedrosa admitted that it was tricky to keep second position with Rossi snapping at his heels.

Australia’s Casey Stoner celebrates his victory at the Malaysian MotoGP. Defending world champion Valentino Rossi claimed his seventh MotoGP title in a thrilling race in wet conditions at Sepang.

“It was a tough race until the end because Rossi was pushing me hard,” he said.

Earlier, Japan’s Hiroshi Aoyama, riding a Honda, led from the start to win the 250cc race.

Birthday boy Aoyama, who now leads the 250cc championship standings with 252 points, clocked 42 minutes, 55.689 seconds in the 20-lap race after starting from pole position.

Spain’s Julian Simon won the 125cc on an Aprilia.

Sebastien Loeb of France and co-driver Daniel Elena of the Citroen Total WRT team navigate a water hazard in their Citroen C4 car during the second stage of the Rally of Great Britain at Sweet Lamb, Wales on October 23. Loeb seized control of the Rally of Great Britain and the world title race with a dominant performance on day two of the season-ending race here on Saturday.

Sebastien Loeb seized control of the Rally of Great Britain and the world title race with a dominant performance on day two of the season-ending race here on Saturday.

The defending champion finished the day with a 30.2sec lead over title rival Mikko Hirvonen of Finland, who led him by a single point going into the weekend, with four special stages to come on Sunday.

Protecting a 5.3sec lead from day one, Loeb’s advantage was trimmed to 2.9sec when Hirvonen won the 35.72km first special stage of the day, but thereafter the Frenchman turned on the style to leave his rival trailing.

Hirvonen was 10.2sec behind Loeb in stage eight and 11.9sec off the Citroen man’s pace in stage nine, allowing the five-time champion to open up a 25sec advantage.

The Ford Focus driver hit back to take stage 10, which was a repeat of the day’s first stage through the Vale of Neath forest, but Loeb reasserted himself in stages 11 and 12 to establish a handsome 30.2sec lead going into the final day.

Loeb’s Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo followed the Frenchman’s lead to climb above Petter Solberg into third place and had opened up a 24sec lead over the Norwegian by the end of the final stage.