Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa took victory in today's red-flagged MotoGP encounter at Sepang which saw almost half the field not finish and the race was eventually stopped on safety grounds as rain poured down, flooding the track.
Pedrosa was nearly four seconds ahead of Lorenzo when the race was stopped after taking the lead at just over half distance. After some deliberation from race direction, the planned re-start was abandoned and full points awarded, which means Lorenzo's lead has been cut by a further five points with 50 left on the table.
It was Lorenzo himself who signalled he wanted the red-flags. After a couple of moments on the increasingly-wet track, he put his hand up for it to be stopped before losing the front into the last corner and only just saving it. Race director Mike Webb then took the big decision.
The stoppage was too late for Britain's Cal Crutchlow, who crashed out just before the red flags and he was followed into the gravel trap by Randy De Puniet. It means Crutchlow is now nine points off the fifth place he believes he should be in championship standings.
It was good news for Britain, however, as PBM Aprilia's James Ellison kept his head while all about him were rubbing them on the tarmac, finishing in ninth place overall and second CRT bike.
Crutchlow's team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was a faller but managed to re-join but there was no such luck for Yamaha teamster Ben Spies who was taken to the medical centre with a shoulder injury following a highside.
Returning world champion Casey Stoner occupied the final podium spot in third and was catching Lorenzo for second while Nicky Hayden was the first Ducati home in fourth after passing team-mate Valentino Rossi, himself involved in a battle with Alvaro Bautista which he won to take fifth place. Stefan Bradl also fell and was unhurt.
