Zoom Mika Kallio

Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaro finished the Malaysian GP in tenth and eleventh positions.

Even if they were separated only by a second, the Pramac Racing riders had very different races on a wet Sepang track.

Mika started quite well, fighting constantly for the top ten, while Aleix made a great comeback, after struggling at the start, overtaking Edwards and reaching the group with his teammate, Capirossi and De Angelis.

The Finnish rider, thanks to the six points achieve today, has conquered the rookie of the year title as the second in this special standing, Niccolò Canepa, is now twenty-six points behind with only one race before the end of the season.

"I am disappointed on how the race went today”, Kallio said. “On the dry we could have conquered a much better result but with these conditions I didn't have much confidence with the rear of the bike to accelerate as I wanted. Instead in the breaking the bike was really competitive. In Valencia and I want and I have to accomplish a much better race."

Aleix, having overtaken De Angelis in the penultimate turn, equaled his best performance in MotoGP when he finished eleventh in Misano.

"In the firsts five laps I couldn't believe how slow I was going but I preferred to take no risk to understand the reaction of the bike with these asphalt conditions. From the sixth lap I aimed at the group where there were Edwards, De Angelis, Kallio and Capirossi, and lap by lap I reached them making it to overtake the first two”, he said. “A pity I didn't start well otherwise I could have fought for better positions. I want to thanks the Pramac Racing Team for this weekend of work which allowed me to grow in preparation to the next season."

Appointment for the last round of the 2009 MotoGP World Championship, as it happens from many years, will be on the Valencia circuit in two weeks time.

© CAPSIS International