Jorge Lorenzo is the 2012 MotoGP World Champion

Needing only to finish ahead of Dani Pedrosa in the Australian GP to clinch the 2012 MotoGP World Championship, Jorge Lorenzo caught a break with his rival’s misfortune, as Pedrosa crashed in Turn 4 on the second lap of the race. With a comfortable margin behind him, Lorenzo went unchallenged to his podium finish and Championship victory.

It was probably a tall order for Pedrosa to mount a championship bid this late in the season, but the Repsol Honda rider has shown a renewed vigor on the bike these past few races. Running wide through Turn 4, Pedrosa’s Honda RC213V began to chatter, and ultimately folded the front-end.

It is a cruel way to lose a championship, but Pedrosa has won over many critics in the process of the 2012 season. For Lorenzo, the factory Yamaha rider has been on form throughout the year, and only finished outside of second place once — when Alvaro Baustista crashed into him at Assen.

Lorenzo’s second MotoGP World Championship was certainly well-deserved, and should more than erase any lingering asterisks on the Spaniard’s riding record, if any even remained. Congratulations again Jorge!