Stoner wiped out at Spanish Grand Prix

Casey Stoner let fly at race officials after losing his early world championship lead during a wet and wild Spanish Grand Prix.

Seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi apologised to Stoner after wiping out Australia's pole-sitter while trying to pass him on the slippery Jerez Circuit.

After winning the season-opening Qatar GP last month for Honda, Stoner led Sunday's race with 20 laps to go when he and Rossi clashed and crashed to the track.

While Jorge Lorenzo went on to take the race from fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, Stoner was unable to continue.

Rossi, who eventually finished fifth, immediately entered the Honda garage at the end of the race to apologise to Stoner.

"You had something with your shoulder did you?" Stoner said to the Italian, smiling.

"Obviously your ambition outweighs your talent."

Stoner, though, was less pleased with the marshals, who helped Rossi remount his bike to join the action while the Australian was left to unsuccessfully attempt to restart his Honda on his own.

"With the accident, I heard Valentino arriving and I wasn't worried about anyone passing me at that point in the race so I gave him plenty of room," Stoner said.

"It was a racing incident and there's not much we can do.

"What is more frustrating is the reaction of the stewards and their assistance for Valentino and not for me - it was unbelievable."

Rossi told Italia1 television: "It's completely my mistake and I have to say sorry to Casey.

"I know that he's very angry because he didn't make any mistakes. I went straight to say sorry."

Defending world champion Lorenzo was a much happier figure than Stoner.

"It was a hard race but I am happy with the win," Lorenzo said.

"We had some luck, without the fall of Stoner we would not have won."

Riding for Yamaha, Lorenzo was 19.339 seconds faster than Pedrosa, who recovered his starting second place after falling to ninth early on.

"At the beginning everyone passed me, but I thought everyone was going too fast and was able to come back," said Pedrosa, who will undergo surgery on his collarbone on Monday.

After Stoner's mishap, Marco Simoncelli took over the lead until he too crashed four laps later and had to retire.

American Nicky Hayden finished third, 29.085 seconds off the pace, at the 4.4km Jerez Circuit.

"It was complicated, but I got a few breaks out there," Hayden said.

After two races, Lorenzo leads the championship with 45 points, Pedrosa is second with 36, with Stoner is third with 25.

In the Moto2 category, Italy's Andrea Iannone was first with Thomas Luthi over seven seconds behind. Simone Corsi completed the podium, over 12 seconds behind.

In the 125cc class, Spanish rider Nicolas Terol won his second straight race ahead of Jonas Folger and Johann Zarco.

The next race is the Portugal GP on May 1.