Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo led a Spanish 1-2 at the MotoGP world championship race in Jerez, Spain, on Sunday ahead of compatriot Dani Pedrosa with Italy’s world champion Valentino Rossi finishing third.

Lorenzo overtook Rossi at the top of the MotoGP world championship standings to the delight of the home crowd.

Australian Casey Stoner was fifth on his Ducati to be eighth in the championship after two races.

“It’s the greatest victory of my career,” said Lorenzo, who picks up just his sixth Moto GP win in his third year in motorcycling’s elite category.

Yahama rider Rossi had gotten off to a flying start, moving up from fourth on the grid to place himself behind pole sitter Pedrosa on the first turn, as Italy’s Loris Capirossi crashed his Rizla Suzuki on the third lap.

Pedrosa, riding a Honda, was leading Rossi by over two seconds at the half-way point with Lorenzo a further two seconds back in third.

Pole sitter Pedrosa would go on to settle for the runner-up spot, but admitted: “I couldn’t figure out why they left me on out on my own for so long.”

His pursuers, however, were never too far behind.

Despite his deficit, Lorenzo started to believe in his chances after 13 of the race’s 27 laps but did not make a move until lap 21 when he overtook Rossi. A fantastic duel ensued with Pedrosa, culminating with Lorenzo crossing the line 0.543sec clear.

“After I’d attacked I threw all caution to the wind. I didn’t care if I crashed, all I wanted was to win,” added Lorenzo, a 22-year-old from Mallorca.

Ducati riders Nicky Hayden and Stoner were fourth and fifth respectively with Andrea Dovizioso sixth and Finn Mika Kallio of Pramac Racing completing an impressive rise from last place on the grid to place seventh.

It was a golden day for Spain with Spanish rider Toni Elias of Moriwaki winning the Moto2 category with Derbi rider Pol Espargaro leading a Spanish sweep of the 125cc category ahead of Aprilia duo Nicolas Terol and Esteve Rabat.

RESULTS:

1.  Jorge Lorenzo  SPA Fiat Yamaha Team  45m 17.538s

2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 45m 18.081s

3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 45m 18.428s

4. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 45m 26.553s

5. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 45m 27.572s

6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 45m 40.682s

7. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 45m 52.027s

8. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 45m 52.225s

9. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 45m 53.698s

10. Alvaro Bautista SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 45m 54.329s

11. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 45m 54.693s

12. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 45m 55.798s

13. Hector Barbera SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar 45m 55.909s

14. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 46m 19.59s

15. Aleix Espargaro SPA Pramac Racing +3laps

DNF:

Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP