Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo has apologised to Nicky Hayden for this morning's first-corner, first-lap crash at Phillip Island and added he believed winning the 2009 MotoGP title was just a long shot anyway.

The Spaniard misjudged the gap between himself and the Marlboro Ducati man as they went into the fast Doohan corner after Lorenzo got a poor start. As Hayden hit the brakes, Lorenzo ran into the back of the Desmosedici and snapped his own brake lever.

"I'm a little bit sad for this crash, not for the championship but for my mistake; I didn't expect this kind of mistake from myself. It was totally my fault, I miscalculated the distance off the line and Nicky braked earlier than I was expecting and I hit him," said Lorenzo.

"I thought I could save it but my front brake was broken and so when I tried to brake for the corner I couldn't and the rear made a big slide. I have a bit of damage to my nose and my finger but it could have been a lot worse. This is what happens in racing and, although I am disappointed about the race, the most important thing is that I am not badly injured.

"I want to say sorry to Nicky because I ruined his race today. As for the points, the title was a long shot anyway and now I just want to look forward to the final two races."
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