Motor sport:Ducati's Casey Stoner became the second youngest MotoGP champion of all-time as the Australian finished ahead of championship rival Valentino Rossi in a Japanese Grand Prix won by team-mate Loris Capirossi in Motegi on Sunday.
Stoner knew he had to finish ahead of the Italian to land the title and after Rossi slipped down the field with eight laps remaining after he was forced into the pits, the Australian calmly navigated the remaining laps of the 2.983 mile circuit to claim a maiden world title.
Rossi was leading at the time with Stoner back in fifth after the riders were forced to change tyres as the track dried, but the Italian was not happy with his new Yamaha and was again forced to pit as he watched an eighth world crown slip away.
Capirossi secured a hat-trick of victories at Motegi in 47 minutes 05.484 seconds ahead of Randy De Puniet by 10.853secs, with Toni Elias third.
Sylvain Guintoli finished fourth ahead of Marco Melandri, while Stoner crucially finished sixth with Rossi back in 13th.